For one more day
by iMissa
Summary: What if you had another chance at life? If you could go back and erase every mistake, every blemish from your past life? Would you do it, despite the consequences? Uchiha Sasuke is about to find out. SasuSaku
1. The funeral

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sama owns Naruto, sadly. I'm just a broke High School girl wishing I could. See the difference?**

Chapter 1: The funeral

The day was cloudy and windy, and it looked like it was going to rain. Normally, Uchiha Sasuke would be glad for this kind of weather. He had always had felt that he trained better in the pouring rain. However, today wasn't a normal day. Today, someone important to him was about to be buried. Team 7 was 22 and although it had been a long time since someone close to him died, the painfully familiar emotion came back to him, roaring with avengence. Sasuke had killed Itachi when he had been 18, and felt no regrets.

Naruto had become Hokage, Sakura had become a medic-nin, and Sasuke had killed Itachi when he had been 18, and felt no regrets. He had avenged his family and killed his psycho of a brother, completing his goal. However, he had another goal. The resurrection of his clan. _'Another broken promise.'_ He thought angrily, throwing a pebble into the calm waters of the lake. His plan had been to marry Sakura and have children with her; it was pointless now, she was dead. It frustrated the male how he was _always _too late to save someone he loved.

"Sasuke-teme?" He didn't turn at the nickname, knowing immediately who it was. Only one person called him by such a vulgar nickname. Sasuke had been horrified to have found himself growing used to it over the years. That had been when they were younger, and everything had seemed so much _simpler_ back then. Well, it hadn't been simpler, per say, but comparing it to how everything was now, it had seemed like paradise. Hell, it HAD been paradise. What had Sasuke been thinking, leaving behind the people who had loved him unconditionally?

"What, dobe?" His voice was raspy, Naruto noted. He must have been screaming earlier. Not that he blamed him. The azure boy himself had broken down and cried when he learned of his female best friend's death. She had meant a lot to them all, but out of everyone, her and Naruto had been the closest. However, it took a lot to break the normally stoic Uchiha.

"The funeral's about to start." He whispered, as if saying those words softly would somehow ease the pain, the hurtful truth about the woman they had both loved, each in a different way. Sasuke paused, and his shoulder's tensed up, before he stood. He brushed past Naruto without a word, but the blond grabbed his arm. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I really, really am." Obsidian eyes clashed with cerulean, and Naruto caught a glimpse of the internal struggle that they were all facing because of the death of Konoha's beloved cherry blossom.

"It doesn't matter now, dobe." Sasuke sighed, and continued to walk. Naruto stared after his best friend before running to catch up with him. The two walked in a silence to the funeral. Once they finally made it there, Kakashi was waiting for them.

"Ready?" He inquired, which was an ironic question. Sure, they were physically ready, but were they emotionally and mentally ready? Were they really okay with seeing their teammate bathed in a casket of white silk? The answer was glaringly obvious, and yet, Naruto and Sasuke nodded their heads, and they sat next to Kakashi.

"Naruto-kun?" The three males turned to face the voice. Hinata stood there. She and Naruto had been dating for a while, so the blond had her sit next to him. She obliged, and placed a pale hand on his knee. No other words were exchanged between the two, and Sasuke stubbornly kept his head straight, studiously ignoring the two people in love. The only woman he had ever cared for in the way Naruto did for Hinata was about to be buried in the soft, damp ground. Not for the first time, the Uchiha survivor found himself feeling jealous of Naruto.

Just then, a hush came over the people, and Tsunade stood at a podium. Sasuke vaguely remembered that everyone very close to Sakura was asked to make a speech, and a tiny voice in his head reminded him that he had reluctantly agreed to that. He found himself going over the day Sakura had died, and all days before that. There was a terrible ache in the left part of his chest. People started to clap, and the raven-haired man realized that the Hokage was done with her speech. Naruto stood, and he seemed determined to get this done with. He stood at the place Tsunade had previously stood, and let out a sharp breath.

"I first met Sakura-chan in the Academy, and I won't lie, I was smitten with her to the point it became an obsessive love," a couple of chuckles from the crowd, and he smiled, "and I became even more enthused when we became a team. Over time, we became close. Over time, she became my best friend." Naruto inhaled deeply, obviously struggling to contain his feelings. "When Sasuke returned, Sakura-chan was really, really happy. Admittedly, kinda pissed, but that was expected." Here, he paused for a moment, then continued. "Every time I picture Sakura-chan, I imagine her as her sixteen year old self, because that was when she had finally accomplished what she craved, to become a medic-nin." He turned his head upwards, to the dark sky, as if it could somehow ease the feeling inside of him, take away the heaviness, the _burden_, of his words. "Goodbye, Sakura-chan. We'll miss you."

He stepped away from the podium, and took his seat beside Hinata. She slid her hand into his larger, more tan one, and he squeezed it. Kakashi stood, and told of his adventures with Sakura, both as her sensei and her friend. Suddenly, it was Sasuke's turn. He stood at the podium, and stared out at the sea of people. He felt distinctly uncomfortable. Why the hell had he agreed to this? He very well couldn't blurt out his feelings for the pink-haired female. However, he couldn't stand here and look stupid, either.

"In the beginning, Sakura was my biggest fan girl," he began, "and it just escalated when her, Naruto, and I became a team. In the beginning, Naruto was obnoxious, Sakura was annoying, and Kakashi was late," Sasuke smirked, "and the latter hasn't changed." People laughed quietly, and Kakashi grinned sheepishly beneath his mask. "I believed I was better than everyone, but over time, they became, well, my friends. When I came back from Sound, Sakura took care of me, and we all became closer." He closed his eyes before opening them again. "She had gone from being this small little girl who couldn't protect herself to being this woman who I barely knew, all strength and brains and it was suddenly her who was saving me, in more than one way." He stepped away from the large piece of wood, and didn't sit down. He continued to walk, heading back to the Uchiha compound. His mind was re-living the memories once more, and Sasuke allowed it.

It seemed so strange. Like, a part of him was missing. He frowned, and sat on his bed, contemplating. A part of him was missing? Pathetic. How had she managed to mean so much to him? He would probably never know. After all, Sakura was dead, and there was nothing to change that fact. In the end, she couldn't use her medical jutsu's. Sasuke laid back and stared at his ceiling through the hazy darkness that night brings, and thought about her. How hard was it going to be, moving on? He, of course, had plenty experience in this chapter of life, but it was different now. Sasuke was older, wiser, and he had loved her a different way than loving his family.

Suddenly, the silence was oppressive, and he got up, his feet taking him somewhere before his brain could even register what was going on. He rummaged beneath his television, and upon close inspection, grabbed a video and popped it into the VCR before pressing play. It was totally black for a second before green eyes appeared, and apparently satisfied, Sasuke laid back down on his bed. On the TV., Sakura giggled, questioning herself on how to work the video recorder. He smiled gently, and fell asleep to the sound of a voice he knew so well, but would never be able to hear again.

The birds chirping awoke him the next morning, and he laid for a moment, as sunlight began to spill into the room. The television had automatically shut itself off, as did the VCR. Glancing quickly at the clock, he discovered it was nearing 6:30, which meant it was time to get up. He did so, stretching, and headed to the shower. After a quick wash, he stepped out, clad in a dark blue towel, and chose his clothes for the day. Once that task was over, he grabbed a tomato before heading out the door and to a bridge that he knew so well. Sasuke leaned against the railing and began to eat the tomato.

"Morning teme." Said a quiet voice, and the Uchiha turned to gaze at Naruto, giving him a nod before continuing with his breakfast. And thus, they waited. And waited. The sun was high in the sky before Kakashi finally arrived with his trademark poof. "YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto yelled, then stopped, and Sasuke knew why. "Liar." whispered the blond, but this time, there was no female echoing this statement.

**A/N- I know, kinda morbid, but go along with me, okay? As of right now, I have no plan as of to how many chapters there are going to be, but there will probably be a lot; you'll find out later in the story why. Anyway, review please!**


	2. To the place we were

Chapter 2: To the place we were

Sasuke winced as he stepped through the door, gazing at the white, creamy walls with matching furniture. Naruto and Kakashi were supposed to be here already, but of course, they were late. Kakashi was expected; Naruto being late was a little surprising, but then again, one of his best friends had just died. It was understandable that he didn't want to step foot in her apartment just yet.

Taking advantage of the time that he had, Sasuke began to wander around. He had been to her apartment a couple of times, of course, but not enough to familiarize himself with it. So, he decided to now, no matter how painful it was, seeing as how everything still had her scent. He went into her bedroom, and was unsurprised at her bed. The room was a pale blue, and the comforter was a dark shade of blue (the same color of the Uchiha shirts he used to have, coincidence?). There was a desk with papers scattered on it, not unusual, seeing as how she was a medic-nin. However, something else made him stop. Succumbing to his curiosity, he walked over to the wooden desk, and opened the mahogany cover. There, staring at him almost accusingly, was the picture of Team 7 when they were twelve. He began to flip idly through the pictures, each one posing a different time and age in their life. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at one picture. It was of him, and he supposed he was around nineteen. On his face was a small smile. He supposed it had been Sakura to take the picture, seeing as how he was facing the camera.

Thinking quickly, he pocketed the photo album, and headed back to the living room. He sat on the ivory couch for a couple of minutes before the door knob turned and Kakashi and Naruto walked inside. "Hey teme. Hope we didn't keep you waiting very long." Naruto began.

"I only got here a couple of minutes ago." Sasuke said smoothly, lying to the blond. He didn't know why, but he wasn't up to sharing the pictures _just _yet. Naruto nodded, and glanced around the tiny apartment, a sad smile on his face. Sasuke guessed that he had been here more often than himself, and was probably more familiar with everything. Probably had more memories as well.

"Naruto?" The azure-eyed man looked at his former sensei. "Will you go get the boxes?" Naruto took a deep breath and nodded, going over and grabbing the cardboard boxes that they were going to place most of Sakura's things in. Sasuke felt his heart wrench at the thought. This was so wrong, so very wrong. Sakura had kept the three men sane when she had still been alive. He would never admit it out loud, but he _needed_ her. They all needed her. So now what were they going to do, now that she was gone? It wasn't like she was on a mission, where she would likely to be gone a month, at most. Back then, her boys would wait patiently for her at the gate when they knew she was coming back. She would be tired, dirty, and sweaty, but they never really minded when she pulled them into a hug. Sasuke could only scowl slightly, and Naruto would hug her back, inquiring about the mission. Sakura would laugh and brush him off, agreeing to meet at Ichiraku for some ramen after she took a shower. But those times were long gone now. Sakura was never coming back.

* * *

Sasuke tilted his head back, gazing at the ceiling. Naruto was sprawled across the loveseat, and Kakashi sat in a chair beside Sasuke. They had finished the living room, dining room, and kitchen. They could've been doing her bedroom at the moment, but nobody had the heart to. "I think we should do the rest tomorrow." Kakashi suggested, and everyone agreed silently.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm gonna go get some ramen." Naruto muttered, sullenly, and with one look at the sad ninja, Kakashi agreed to go with him. "Remember to lock up before you leave, Sasuke." His former sensei told him, and with a _poof, _Naruto and Kakashi disappeared. Sasuke waited a couple of minutes before grabbing a cardboard box and bringing it into Sakura's room. Just because the dobe and the pervert were done didn't mean he was. He started with her closet, grabbing some clothes, folding them, then putting them neatly into the box. However, the scent of her is overpowering, and Sasuke is only human, after all (no matter how much he desperately wishes he wasn't). He lifted the shirt to his nose, and inhaled deeply, loosing himself in the smell. He pulled back, and folded the piece of red cloth, before putting it in the box.

Finally, he had done her closet and her dresser drawers. There were boxes bulging with her clothes, and a smaller box that held some of her other things. Glancing at the larger box, he placed it next to the identical boxes that held everything that Naruto, Kakashi, and he had done this afternoon and grabbed the small box. Sasuke walked swiftly to his house, and people ignored him; nobody stopped to question _why _he was clutching a cardboard box like as if his life depended on it. And in a way, it did.

Once in the safety of his mansion, he took out everything from the box, and gently put her clothing in an unused drawer. Her other things he placed at various intervals in his room. Her perfume, the smell that clung stubbornly to her clothing, went inside his bathroom mirror. Pictures and stuff went on his dresser. Now that he was done, he glanced around the room. It looked slightly unfamiliar, but in a way, it was comforting. It was almost as if a tiny part of Sakura was still here, with him. Uchiha Sasuke had never been one for sympathy and caring, but right now, as he plopped on his bed, he really wished Sakura was really here.

* * *

A week had passed since Sakura's death, and slowly, things were improving. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke had managed to clean out Sakura's apartment. They had given her things to Tsunade-sama, and she would probably burn the stuff. Or perhaps she too would keep the knickknacks, a dirty little secret similar to Sasuke's. However, Naruto couldn't help but pass by his former teammates apartment regularly, and felt a jolt in his gut when he saw a woman standing on the balcony. For a moment, he believed it was Sakura. That after all his pleading, begging, praying for her to return home to them, she had. However, this wasn't the case. The woman had long, black hair and warm brown eyes. She turned and a man came behind her, kissing her on the cheek and leading her back inside. Naruto shook his head and kept on walking stubbornly. Sakura no longer lived there. He had to get used to that fact.

It had been two weeks since Sakura had died, and things were still slightly awkward between Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi. Tsunade was wise enough to assign each boy a different mission, not including the other two males. Sasuke sighed and laid down on his bed, throwing an arm over his eyes. He had just gotten back from a mission, and he knew that he should take a shower, but his mind couldn't help but go over what had happened during said mission.

Flashback

_It was supposed to be a simple mission. However, there was a surprise attack, and his attacker had taken a hostage. Sasuke's eyes widened when he caught sight of the little girl. She had long brown hair but what caught his gaze were her eyes. Bright, green eyes that looked so innocent and helpless. Almost like it was an automatic response, Sasuke ripped the girl from the attacker's arms, and killed him right then and there. Luckily, the girl wasn't looking, and it was just Sasuke. After the deed was done, he bent down, looking the girl straight in her eyes. "What's your name?" He asked, almost in a kind manner. He blamed the fact that she looked exactly like Sakura at her age, minus the large forehead and vibrant pink hair._

_"A-Ayame." She stuttered nervously. _

_"Well then, tell me Ayame, do you live close by?" He inquired, and she nodded. "Alright then, I'm walking you home."_

_"But mister, you don't have to do that." He shoved his hands in his pockets nervously. Her eyes were wide and child-like, reminding him rather painfully of a twelve year old Sakura._

_"Hn. Just lead the way." She smiled faintly, and complied. He watched as she walked through a door, then turned to wave at him, her emerald eyes twinkling with happiness. The same way Sakura's had whenever she saw him. Nodding his goodbye, Sasuke headed back to Konoha, thoughts of Sakura swimming in his head._

_End Flashback_

Sighing, Sasuke went to go take that shower. He got out fifteen minutes later, a white towel wrapped around his slim hips **(A/N- insert fan girl squealing) **and he headed into the kitchen. He began to slowly eat a tomato, then smirked as he heard Sakura's voice in his head scolding him about how 'he was going to die if he just continued to eat tomatoes and ramen'. Therefore, she took it upon herself to cook for him whenever she could. Surprisingly, her cooking had improved during the years. However, he still complained about it, more out of habit than anything else. Che. Annoying girl.

He ate the last of the tomato, and went into the bedroom, changing into a pair of black sweatpants and laid down. Finally, he fell asleep.

When Sasuke woke up, he felt distinctly… odd. Brushing it off, he stood up, and knew something was wrong. When he got out of bed, that feeling returned with avengence. Rushing to the mirror, he let out the most un-Uchiha-ish scream ever. He was stuck in his twelve year old body again.

**A/N- Cliffie! Sorry people, I'm kinda in a cliffie mood. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter; don't forget to review!**


	3. Back to the beginning

Chapter 3: Back to the beginning

Sasuke felt about his face, the smooth-ness of youth, and looked down. Oh God. He remembered being this short. He _hated_ being this short. How the hell had this happened? All he remembered was going to sleep after taking a shower, and waking up _like this_. Sasuke began to pace, and out of habit, ran a hand angrily through his hair. Okay, what he needed to do now was relax. He was back in his awkward twelve-year old body. Not good. REALLY not good. '_A shinobi must never show their emotions._' a sly voice reminded him. Sasuke checked the clock. It was 6 am. What had he been doing around this time? He had been training under Kakashi, hadn't he?

Sighing, Sasuke rummaged through his closet, grimacing. The Uchiha shirts. He had totally forgotten about these. Now that he was in the ANBU, he wore all black. He dressed quickly, and headed to the bridge. He was, of course, first there. After all, it was just nearing 6:30. He stared at the sky, which was a dark hue of pink while a shade of gold was beginning to stain the horizon. Hn, sunrise. Suddenly, Sasuke tensed. Oh God no. Somebody must've hated him somewhere. Quiet footsteps approached him. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun." Greeted a voice, and it was all Sasuke could do to not look at the pink-haired girl. So instead, he nodded his head at the ground, fighting the turmoil in his head.

Well, what had he expected? He was twelve again, still a part of Team 7. Of course Sakura was still alive. She wouldn't die for another ten years. Just the thought made him swallow a lump in his throat. Here she was again, and all he had to do was reach out and touch her. But he couldn't. She was here, living, breathing, smiling, and yet, she felt so far away. "Did you have a nice sleep?" She inquired, and he made the mistake of looking at her. Immediately, he felt like he couldn't breathe. It must've been past the chuunin exams, because her hair was cut short to her shoulders, just like how it had been last month. _When I last saw her_ he remembered. He had told her to be careful, and she had smiled at him. _'Don't worry, Sasuke-kun, I'll be fine.' _"Sasuke-kun?" She had gotten closer, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He flinched at the contact. She had done that when he had last seen her.

"It went fine." He told her coldly, and Sakura backed away, obviously hurt. He knew he should apologize, but he didn't. Maybe if he hurt her again, he himself wouldn't get hurt.

"S-sorry, Sasuke-kun." She muttered sadly, and lowered her head to the floor. Sasuke sighed. Pushing her away wasn't going to solve anything. Perhaps there was a reason as of to why he had been deported back to the past. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at Sakura, standing there looking rather depressed. Maybe he had been brought back to the past so that he could… could what? Make things right? But wouldn't that be messing with fate? Unless… maybe it hadn't _been _Sakura's time to die.

"You're not bothering me, Sakura." He told her, and Sakura turned to him, emerald eyes wide.

"I-I'm not." She whispered, and he sighed.

"No, you're not." She beamed at him brightly, and latched onto his arm.

"Arigato, Sasuke-kun!"

"Tch." He muttered, but allowed her to stay close. He was being selfish, and he knew it. However, it had felt like forever since he had last seen Sakura. Since she had last been this close to him.

_Flashback_

"_Sasuke-kun!" A 22 year old man turned at the sound of his name, and smirked as a woman ran up to him. Her long pink hair was in a braid, which swung behind her. _

_"What are you doing up so early?" He inquired, and she smiled at him. _

_"I have a mission." She told him cheerfully, and immediately his eyes narrowed. She was too happy; there had to be something wrong._

_"What rank?"_

_"A-rank." He nodded slowly. He felt…funny. Sakura noticed, and giggled, enveloping Sasuke in a hug that caught him off guard. That, and only THAT, was the reason why he didn't push her away. The entire reason why he found himself hugging her back. He convinced himself it was just instincts._

_"Don't worry Sasuke-kun, I'll be fine." She let out a laugh. "After all, I've done tons of A-ranked missions before. Don't worry about me." She laid her head on his shoulder briefly before pulling back, giving him a small smile. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks."_

_End Flashback_

"Sakura-chaaaan! Teme!" Sasuke sighed, and Sakura let go of him as Naruto came running up to them, that stupid grin on his face. "Teme." Sasuke smirked.

"Dobe." He greeted back, and this time, it was Sakura's turn to sigh. She was tired, and wasn't really in the mood for the two boys to fight. Surprisingly, however, Sasuke just went back to leaning against the railing, while Naruto began to chatter away to Sakura, who was trying to listen while the blond blabbed about ramen. Sasuke snorted and looked away from the two. Sometimes, he forgot how annoying Naruto had been in their younger years.

It had been almost 5 hours, and Kakashi had yet to show up. Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch in anger, but calmly controlled himself, closing his eyes. There was no way he would be able to kill his sensei, whether in this body or his twenty-two one. However, a poof proved this unnecessary, and the next thing he heard was Sakura and Naruto screaming at the jounin. He smirked and cracked open an eye, surveying the sheepish expression on the silver-haired man. "Alright everybody, now that I'm here,"

"Finally!" muttered Naruto, but Kakashi ignored him,

"We'll have Naruto and Sasuke spar. Sakura, you could spar with me if you'd like." Sakura let out a nervous laugh and quickly shook her head no. Sasuke knew why; fighting Kakashi was really hard (and quite frustrating. The man never put away that stupid Icha Icha Paradise). "Alright then. Sasuke, Naruto, you may begin." Smirking, they did as told. Sasuke mentally reminded himself of jutsu's he had used while he was twelve. After all, it wouldn't do for him to suddenly pop out a jutsu that he had learned ten years from now. No, not suspicious at _all. _

Eventually, Sasuke won, of course. However, he prolonged the period because in the future, he hadn't had much time to train with Naruto. He was busy being Hokage, and Sasuke was busy with the ANBU. Sakura, of course, had been preoccupied with the hospital, so he couldn't have asked her, either.

Training ended, and everybody left, except for Sasuke. He continued to train on his own, lost in his thoughts. Okay, so he had been brought back to the past to change it, despite the fact that that was messing with fate. But why had he specifically been chosen? Why not Naruto as well? Or Kakashi? So caught up in his musings, he accidentally cut himself with his kunai. Cursing slightly, he inspected his hand, from which blood was oozing. "Sasuke-kun!" He whirled around, only to face Sakura, who was clutching anxiously at her dress as she stared nervously at his hand.

"What do you want, Sakura?" He asked in his coldest voice. Inwardly, he winced slightly. However, it was necessary. It would be beyond weird if all of a sudden he started warming up to her slightly. Besides, he reminded himself, she was still in her fangirl stage.

"Sasuke-kun, you're hurt." Sasuke bit back the urge to roll his eyes. _Obviously! _

"I'm fine." He told her bluntly, and turned around, closing his eyes to keep himself from seeing the hurt look that he was sure crossed her face. He heard her sigh.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Sasuke-kun. I just wanted to help." He listened to her feet as she turned and started to walk away. He sighed.

"You don't have bandages, do you?" He turned his head to face her, an irritated look crossing his face, a delighted one on hers.

"U-uhm no, but I can give you some of my chakra." She told him hopefully, but her face fell when he scoffed.

"I could've done that myself." He reminded her. Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow. High. She was ripping off a piece of her dress, and before he could stop it, she had wrapped it gently around his hand. Smiling, she pulled back, then blushed at his intense gaze.

"You can re-wrap it when you get back to your house, but for right now, it's just to stem the blood flow." Sakura said. He nodded, and walked away. However, when they trained the next morning, the piece of Sakura's dress was still wrapped around Sasuke's hand.

**A/N- Tah-dah, another chapter done! Sorry it took me so long, I'm determined not to fail Biology this term, so I actually DID the Bio homework (laughs nervously). Anyway, I know there's not a lot of humor, but it will be there, and soon. Don't forget, Sakura's a teenage GIRL. Our hormones are like roller coasters, and poor Sasuke was gone with Orochimaru, so he wasn't there for that. But will he leave a second time? You'll find out soon enough! Now, review away, my little duckies!**


	4. Making the same mistakes?

Chapter 4: Making the same mistakes…?

Sasuke woke abruptly, and just laid there for a moment, listening to the silence of the room as he adjusted to changing from the stage of asleep to awake. Outside, the sky was still dark, but that wouldn't last for long. Also, the birds were chirping loudly, greeting him to his morning. Scowling, he fought back the urge to stab a kunai into the birds necks, and got up and headed into the shower. Once in, he grimaced at his pale and limp body. Bah, he was so used to being muscular! (**A/N- dies at the mental images of a buff 22 year old Sasuke in the shower)** However, he had to put up with this body. Shrugging, he got out and wrapped a towel around him, then got dressed.

Frowning, he fingered the Uchiha shirts, then began to look around. He nodded in satisfaction when he came across a pair of black shorts with a matching black top. Sasuke quickly put that on, then popped some toast in the toaster and waited, pulling out some butter to use it with. He also grabbed a water bottle, and then sat down and began to eat his breakfast, glancing at the clock ever so often. After all, it wouldn't do for him to be late. Uchiha Sasuke was NEVER late; he wasn't about to start now.

Sighing, he left the warmth of his house and headed towards the bridge. Of course, he was the first there. After all, it was only 6:30, at most. The sky was slowly lighting, and Sasuke watched it with a bored fascination that only comes when you're waiting for someone. He glanced down at his hand, where there used to be a shallow cut. It had been two weeks since that had happened, and the kunai cut had faded. However, the memories hadn't. He could still imagine Sakura's bottle-green eyes, wide and innocent and _worried_. For him. _For him!_ What had he ever done to deserve such special treatment?

"Sasuke-kun!" He turned at her voice, and nodded at her. Her smile was bright, albeit looking slightly tired. His eyes narrowed slightly; she didn't notice. Then again, she looked too exhausted to notice much. However, he couldn't just blurt out what he was thinking. If he did, she would probably have a heart attack. So instead, he bit the inside of his lip and didn't comment on her state. Sakura didn't seem to mind, and was just content to slide down and sit with her head buried in her arms. Occasionally Sasuke would sneak peeks at her, but Sakura never once shifted. It appeared that she was asleep, and he grimaced. She must've been really tired.

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke-teme!" A blond shouted, and Sasuke sighed while Sakura's head shot right up, scowling. Apparently she didn't like to be woken up. Naruto came bounding up to them, grinning. "Gooooood morning!" He said cheerfully, but howled in pain when Sakura punched him right in the head. Sasuke blinked; for someone who's only half awake, she had pretty good aiming.

"You deserved that, dobe." Sasuke muttered, and Naruto glared at him.

"How'd I deserve it?!"

"You woke her up." He told the other boy simply. The azure eyed boy winced, then glanced over at his pink-haired teammate.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, did I really wake you up…?" He asked hesitantly. There was no answer; Sakura had fallen back to sleep.

Sasuke sighed, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Idiot," but Naruto let it go. He turned to Sasuke, and his blue eyes were worried.

"Teme, Sakura-chan's _never _this tired." He said, biting his lip slightly. Sasuke inwardly agreed with his best friend. What could be wrong with the female? Normally, she was bright and bubbly, but this morning she had seemed almost…depressed. What could have possibly affected her so much?

"I know, dobe." Sasuke said quietly, glancing quickly at Sakura.

"What do you think is wrong with her?" Sasuke shrugged at the other's question. He hoped Naruto wasn't expecting an answer, because he definitely wasn't going to get one. He and Sakura close to never talked (in the past, anyway) so he couldn't tell Naruto what was the matter, because he didn't know himself.

The hours seemed to drag on forever now that Naruto and Sakura weren't bickering with each other. Even Naruto picked up the tense silence, but didn't end it. Sasuke was too caught up in his thoughts and his best friend was too busy being worried about Sakura to even argue with the Uchiha prodigy. Finally, around noon, Kakashi appeared with a poof. Sasuke couldn't tell, but it looked like he had raised an eyebrow at their current state. Sasuke leaning against the railing and being silent was normal. Naruto and Sakura not screaming and/or hitting each other (or rather, Sakura beating the blond) was highly unusual. "Sakura-chan wake up, training's about to start." Naruto urged softly, crouching down and gently shaking Sakura's shoulder. Sasuke squelched down the memories of the two in the future.

On one of Sasuke's rare trips to her apartment, he had gone with Naruto and they had found Sakura slumped over her desk, fast asleep. Chuckling, Naruto had walked over and shaken the pink-haired medic awake. She had greeted them both, apologizing for falling asleep. After that, they made sure that their favorite female (well, maybe not in Naruto's case. In that time period, he had Hinata) was always well-rested.

"Already?" Sakura asked, sitting upright and yawning. Kakashi's eyebrow was in danger of being sucked into his hairline.

"Sakura, are you…feeling alright?" He inquired, and she gave him a tiny smile.

"Of course, Kakashi-sensei," she chirped, "I'm just kinda tired is all." Sasuke bit back the retort that she had been asleep for almost 5 hours; saying that she was kind of tired was putting it mildly.

"Okay, if you're sure." He said hesitantly, then looked at the males. "You two will be fighting today. Sakura doesn't seem up to it today." She looked down, then glanced at Sasuke. Apparently, she was waiting for the comment that she was weak and would never amount to anything. However, it didn't come, and Sakura seemed surprised. Sasuke felt a pang of guilt shoot through his stomach. He really _had_ been a bastard to her during their childhood, hadn't he.

"Okay." Naruto agreed brightly, and Sasuke just nodded. The two boys once again began to spar, and out of the corner of his eye, he watched Sakura staring at them, biting her lip gently. It appeared that she was in deep thought. He quickly defeated Naruto, and the three of them turned to their sensei. Sasuke sighed and Naruto began to yell as they watched Kakashi giggle at something in the Icha Icha Paradise book. "Pervert!" yelled the blond, and quickly got kicked for his comment.

"Naruto! Watch it, that's our sensei!" Sakura scolded, seemingly a lot more awake than she had been previously.

"Yes, Naruto, you should watch it. After all, I could give you a lap around Konoha." Kakashi commented dryly, ripping his eyes away from his dirty book. Naruto made an annoyed noise from the back of his throat but otherwise didn't retaliate. "Anyway, you three have tomorrow off. After that, meet me here at the bridge, bright and early." What seemed like a grin formed underneath his mask. Sakura scoffed.

"Kakashi-sensei, you don't even know the _meaning_ of bright and early!" She complained. He smirked slightly.

"Sasuke, I want you to walk Sakura home," he bluntly ignored the kyuubi vessel's protests in the background, "because I don't want something to happen to her."

"Oh no, that's okay! I'm fine now." Sakura protested, but Kakashi shook his head at her.

"Sasuke's walking you home, Sakura." He said, as if what he said went. And honestly, it did. That didn't mean they had to like it though…

Sakura huffed angrily, but didn't say another word. Sasuke seemed faintly amused. Any other time and his female teammate would've died from happiness at the chance for her precious _Sasuke-kun _to walk her home. Dear Kami, he would've been drowned in hugs and hearts from the girl! Now, though, she looked rather irritated.

"Ready?" Sakura asked Sasuke.

"Hn." She smiled faintly. In Sasuke-language, that meant yes. Or, to put it more like him, duh.

Sakura stared off into the trees, and Sasuke deemed it safe enough to watch her. He hadn't noticed it before, but he certainly did now. There were slight circles underneath her eyes, and her skin was no longer that creamy porcelain but looked really pale. His pride kept him from asking her what was wrong. However, the concern he felt for her from before was bubbling up inside of him again.

"Why were you so weak today?" Well, he couldn't be nice to her _all_ the time. She smiled bitterly and shook her head, but with a scathing look from him, she sighed.

"I-I had a nightmare. That's all." She muttered, and Sasuke frowned. A nightmare? That was what had been bothering her so much? Slightly irked, he continued with his inquiry.

"About what?" She didn't answer his question right away. In fact, she seemed almost… hesitant. His brow furrowed as he glanced at her quickly out of his peripheral vision. Sasuke's suspicions rose. He knew he was selfish, and it was pretty pathetic when it came down to her, but Sakura always told him everything. Even in the future, if something was bothering her, he would somehow always find himself opening the door, making her tea, and listening while she poured her heart out. "Sakura, I'm not going to ask again." He told her impatiently.

"I had a nightmare about you leaving." He almost stopped, partly from the shock of the fact that she seemed to be _snapping _at him, and partly because she was absolutely right. In the past, a couple of weeks from now, he had left for Sound. He almost shuddered at the memory. Now THAT had not been the most pleasant experience. She turned her worried, emerald eyes towards him, and he felt something wrench painfully in his gut at the look on her face. "You're not going to leave, are you…Sasuke-kun?" She asked him quietly. They continued to walk to her house, while he contemplated what to say to his female teammate. Would he return to Orochimaru? It had been hell, pure hell, when he had been with the snake sannin. However, it had made him incredibly powerful. And he probably never would've beaten Itachi without Orochimaru's help.

Broken jade green eyes swam into his mind's eyes focus, and he remembered the day he came back, and those sad green irises had been one of the first things he had seen. With an inward cringe, he also remembered watching her turn her back on him, and didn't talk to him for a week. He would rather be put on the rack and be tortured before he ever admitted that that entire week had sucked; he had felt lost. Suddenly, everything he thought he could ever count on was being turned upside down. Naruto was no longer the annoying, always cheerful boy he had remembered. No, now he was serious, and sometimes when the blond didn't want to be seen or heard, he wasn't. Sasuke had left Sakura on a bench, and that, it seemed, was where her innocence was left too.

"No." He whispered. It was both an answer to her question and the answer to his thoughts. He had been sent to the past to change it, right? Well, it could teeter over the edge and plummet to hell if he chose to, once again, return to Orochimaru. He had to change what had happened on his own way. Well, it would be amusing, if anything. He had missed some vital points in his friends lives by leaving.

Suddenly, he felt warm. Really warm. He glanced down, and saw a head full of pink. Sakura was hugging him, sticking her face into his shirt.

"Thank you." She murmured, hugging him tighter. Sasuke bunched his fingers into the sides of his shirt to keep from holding her to him. The loss of her hit him like a ton of bricks, and he firmly reminded himself that he wasn't from this time period. He was from a time where Sakura no longer existed, where Naruto didn't laugh at stupid jokes and Kakashi had even once been on time. That had been Sakura's funeral, of course. Kakashi had, in his own weird way, loved his only female student. Sasuke supposed that it had been because of his leaving. Kakashi had probably grown closer to Sakura and Naruto because they had been the ones most affected when Konoha's Golden Boy became a traitor to their village. After all, Sakura had loved him and Naruto had been his best friend, and the three of them had been the people who had gotten closest to Sasuke in the years following his clan's murder.

"Sakura, we're here." He told her, bringing up his arms and pushing her away, but not roughly. Sakura looked up at him, her eyes bright and happy, and she nodded.

"Sasuke-kun, thank you for walking me home." He shoved his hands into his pockets at her words.

"Aa." She waved to him, skipping through her door and closing the door gently behind her. He watched for a moment more before heading to the Uchiha compound. His feet scuffled the dirt beneath his feet, and he kept his head bowed. He could feel the fangirls ogling but not once did he lift his head, feeling twinges of annoyance as their gazes remained on his back (and most of the time even lower) after he passed. _Stupid fangirls. _

Once in the safety of his bedroom, Sasuke collapsed on the bed and glared moodily at the ceiling. His abdomen still tingled strangely from where Sakura had wrapped her arms around him. He wondered if Sakura loved him at this point, then mentally kicked himself. Well, she had screamed that she loved him more than anything when he left for Sound. Had she just screamed that because he was leaving, or had she realized beforehand, and it had just seemed like an opportune moment when he was about to leave his life, his security, his _family _behind.

He scowled. He didn't know why it was bothering him so much, honestly. She was just a girl. _A girl who would do anything for you. A girl who would kill for you, weep for you, **die for you**…_ A sly voice muttered in his head. Stupid conscience. Sasuke rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax. He fell into a restless sleep, and when he woke up, a smirk broke across his face. He knew what he was going to do; it wouldn't be easy, but it must be done. His smirk widened, and he laid back down. Then again, loving an Uchiha wasn't such an easy task either.

**A/N- Bah, I don't really like the ending, but oh well. This is the longest chapter I've written for FOMD yet, and they will probably get longer as they go on. Hopefully, anyway. Jeez, can't believe I'm posting at almost 1:30 in the morning. There must be something wrong with me; I post at the weirdest times. Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to: **

**FrillingFreak **

**Ur2tRoUbLeSoMe90**

**Marauder's x Girl**

**runwithskizzers**

**Highflyincherries (my stalker! Haha, I love her!)**

**NarutoUzumakiLover**

**pilar-ayesha**

**And to the many other people who reviewed, and even those that read this fic! Oh, and I might not update for maybe another week, because something big is gonna happen in the next chapter, so I'll be busy typing away. Even though I should REALLY be working on Surprise (coughs). To those that read that story (for those that don't know, it's not on my username, it's on my cousin's, Invisible1withnofaith. Please R&R that story too!) I will update monthly. Long time, I know, but I'm busy with this story and struggling with school. So please be patient! So anyway, if I don't update before the next holiday, Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Well, now that you've read thus far, review please? **


	5. Dreams

Chapter 5: Dreams

_Sasuke woke and glanced around him, breathing deeply. He groaned and ran his hand across his face before getting up and showering. He leaned an arm against the wall, feeling the warm jets hitting his muscular body. Why had he had that dream again? He balled his hands angrily. Stupid Itachi; even dead, he couldn't leave his younger brother alone. _

_Once Sasuke was clean, he quickly turned the knobs and wrapped a towel around his built torso, and then dressed in his normal ANBU attire, without the mask of course. He glanced outside his window, and decided to go train. Nodding his satisfaction, he quickly locked up his door and walked around Konoha, heading towards the forest. However, he spotted a shock of pink and almost smiled. Well well, surprises do happen. _

_"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura greeted as she ran up to him, her hair swinging behind her, which was in a braid. He raised an eyebrow at her. _

_"What are you doing up so early?"_

_"I have a mission." He then noted that she was wearing her Jounin vest. Ahh…_

_"Interesting." He said, and she nodded, grinning._

_"It's an A-rank." His eyebrow went higher, and Sakura giggled. "Well, I've been stuck in the hospital for so long that ANY kind of mission is great. This one just so happens to be an A-rank, so it's awesome!" Her grin brightened and he shook his head in amusement. Well, he couldn't really blame her. After all, Sakura had been at the hospital constantly, and hadn't really had a mission in… maybe 4 months. Then again, how come the Hokage would give her an A-rank mission when the hospital might need her? Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed, and Sakura noticed. She smiled gently, and enveloped the Uchiha prodigy in a hug. "Don't worry Sasuke-kun," she whispered, "I'll be fine." _

_"Hn." He muttered, not wrapping his arms around her but slightly leaning in to the female. _

_"I'll only be gone two weeks, at most." She peered up at him, her emerald eyes shining as bright as the smile on her face. "I promise I'll come back, cause then, we can do something. Maybe just you and I, or maybe with Naruto, and if we can get Kakashi-sensei to be on time, which I highly doubt but miracles can happen, then it could be like a reunion of Team 7." She pulled away from him, and he felt slightly colder from the lack of her warmth. _

_"You know as well as I do that Kakashi will never be early for anything, Sakura." He told her, not knowing that come six weeks, he would be eating his words. Sakura merely shrugged. _

_"Miracles can happen." She repeated, and gave him one final smile before turning on her heel and walking towards Konoha's gate. He stared after her, feeling slightly uneasy. Sakura turned and waved._

_"See you in two weeks, Sasuke-kun!" She shouted, and disappeared. Sighing, the man continued with his original destination: the Training grounds. _

_Two weeks passed, and despite himself, Sasuke was looking forward to Sakura's returning. She was the medium between Naruto and himself; without her, there was no one to stop their fights. In order to pass the time, Sasuke trained both by himself and with his blond best friend. Sometimes they got into their pointless little arguments, but most of the time, they were too busy to even talk, unless it was to insult each other. _

_"Dobe, you're slower than normal," Sasuke taunted cruelly, "what's the matter? Finally realize you'll never beat me?"_

_"Shut your mouth, teme!" Naruto snapped back, "First of all, I've kicked your ass before; you just choose not to remember it. Second of all, I'm worried about Sakura-chan." Sasuke stopped. _

_"Let's take a break." He suggested, and the kyuubi vessel across from his nodded his agreement. Naruto sprawled out rather ungracefully on the grass, while Sasuke just laid down and put his hands behind his head. _

_"What do you mean, you're worried about Sakura?" Sasuke inquired. Naruto sighed. _

_"Well, she was supposed to be gone for a maximum of two weeks, right? Well, it's in the middle of the second week, and she's still not here." The dark-haired boy turned and frowned at him._

_"Sakura can take care of herself." He told Naruto bluntly, but now that Naruto had mentioned it, she had been gone for longer than expected. He quickly shook his head. No, he wouldn't allow himself to have such thoughts. After all, the pink-haired woman wasn't the girl she had been ten years ago, relying on everybody and only good for protecting their charge and screaming "Sasuke-kun!" at appropriate intervals. She was no longer that weak, thank God. _

_"I know." Naruto said softly, and glanced around. "But still, she's one of my best friends. If I lost her…" He trailed off, then shook his head. "Nevermind, it's like you said. Sakura-chan can take care of herself." But Naruto didn't sound so sure, and it was that that worried Sasuke the most. The blond was always confident in everything, always so self-assured. The Uchiha would never admit it, but sometimes when they were on missions and Naruto was blabbing about how they could "totally kick those stupid enemy ninjas asses!" it kinda… made him believe they could do it. _

_"Dobe, you have every right to be afraid for Sakura." Sasuke told him, and debated whether to tell him about what Sakura had said before she left. She had **promised **to come back. Haruno Sakura never broke a promise that she knew she wouldn't be able to keep.

* * *

_

_Apparently, Haruno Sakura **could **break a promise. Almost a month had passed, and still no sign of the pink-haired medic. Sasuke began to feel panic curl in his stomach at the very thought, but violently shoved it down. No, he would NOT become like Naruto. His best friend had been on edge for the past week, snapping at everybody and prowling around Konoha, blue eyes flaming with anger. In fact, he even once yelled at Hinata, who to everyone's surprise, smacked him. He later apologized to his girlfriend, and had afterwards, appeared slightly calmer. The only person who didn't seem outwardly affected by Sakura's being late was Kakashi; Sasuke knew better, though. He had caught him staring up at Sakura's apartment, as if willing her to come out onto her balcony and yell, "Why are you standing out their, Kakashi-sensei? Come on in, I'll make tea!" _

_When it was a full month of Sakura's departure, Tsunade sent out some hunter nins, and Sasuke watched them go, praying for them to find Sakura. Praying to whatever God there was for them to come back with news that the mission was just taking slightly longer than usual, and that she'd be home soon and to tell her boys not to worry about her, she still had to keep that promise, didn't she? But promises were always made to be broken, no matter who made them. A week later, the hunter nins came back, and they were clutching a body. Sasuke bit down the urge to close his eyes and will it all away, have them have only found another body on their way here. They were bringing news OF Sakura, not the girl's dead body. However, the pink hair was unmistakable, and once they passed, Sasuke went back to his house and retched. _

_Tsunade called for them. Him, Naruto, and Kakashi. They all entered her office, all grim faced and ready to battle whatever she could throw at them. There, Tsunade told them quietly that Sakura had been killed during the mission. She had fought bravely against Sound hunters, but in the end, they overpowered her. Sasuke stared out the window, clenching his fists. It was all his fault. He should have killed every single Sound nin there was when he left. But no, he had to go off and spare lives, because it would've been what Sakura and Naruto had wanted. They had wanted their best friend to return to them, not some empty-shelled monster who only bared the outward appearance of the boy they had once known, once loved. _

_The Hokage was still speaking. She was telling them that Sakura's name would be put on the memorial, and that her funeral would be held in a week. Until then, they were dismissed. The three men nodded, and once outside, Naruto slid against the wall and cried. And Sasuke watched him, feeling something pull against the strings of his heart at the loss of the girl who had meant so much to him, so much to them all, and he slid against that wall, right next to his best friend, and listened to him. Kakashi stood there as well, his face pressed to the sky and his one eye closed. Sasuke knew he was feeling the loss of their teammate -and his student- too. _

_"It wasn't supposed to be like this," Naruto had mumbled, "Sakura-chan wasn't supposed to die." It seemed like the future Hokage was just talking to himself, so Sasuke didn't reply. He silently agreed with Naruto; apparently, so did Kakashi. Their former sensei kneeled down until he was right in front of his former loudmouthed pupil._

_"We know, Naruto. We know." He said softly. After a while, Naruto collected himself and stood, brushing off any gravel or dirt that had been on him. _

_"What time is Sakura's funeral?" Sasuke asked, keeping his eyes straight ahead. _

_"10:30." Kakashi answered, and the Uchiha prodigy just nodded, his jaw clenched tightly. He got up and stood stiffly. _

_"I'll see you guys at the funeral." He muttered, and began to walk away, well aware of the two pairs of eyes staring at his back. They were well aware of why he wouldn't be seeing them until her funeral. After all, Sasuke would never admit it, and probably didn't even know it himself, but deep down, he had loved the pink-haired konoichi. He had probably been planning to marry Sakura as well. Not to just rebuild the Uchiha clan, but because he cared deeply for the Haruno girl. _

_Sasuke stared sullenly at the ceiling, watching as the setting sun made patches of pink jewels across it. He felt his heart clench painfully._

_Sakura…_

_She had promised! She had promised that she'd come back, dammit! His mind flashed back to a time when he had just come back. Just as always, he had pushed her away angrily, convinced that he was doing the right thing. Loving was a weakness; he was already weak, he didn't need another reason. He didn't need another reason to compulsively save the girl. Didn't need another reason to dream and think about her at night, when he was about to drift off to sleep, causing her to be the last thing he thought about. But as he harshly yelled at her, she had wrapped her arms around him, settling her head in the crook of his shoulder. "Don't," she had whispered brokenly, her voice choked with sobs that were threatening to break, "don't push me away again, please. You've already lived through too many broken promises. Just…for once, let yourself be weak. It's always been you saving me. Let me save you, just this once." And he had sagged against her, all of his willpower gone, pressing his head against the pulse in her neck as she ran her hands through his hair and whispered soothing words in his ear. _

_Sasuke blinked rapidly and scowled, getting up and slamming the curtains, so that the pink-ness of the setting sun was gone suddenly, leaving him in darkness, just the way he liked it. She had colored his world, screwed up everything until he couldn't tell what was needed from what was wanted. He wished she was here, so that he could yell, scream at her. How it was all her fault, if only she hadn't been so damned persuasive. If only she hadn't loved him the way she had. If she had just been after him because he was Uchiha Sasuke, and all the girls loved him so she should too. If only she hadn't made so many promises that she wouldn't be able to keep…_

_If only he had never cared for her in an almost selfish way. If only he hadn't cared for her, protected her because she was innocent, and he would never be able to understand it, but he didn't want anyone to taint her. If only he hadn't let her get under his skin, if only he hadn't allowed her to break his defenses. If only he had never fallen in love with her…_

_And there, in the quiet of his bedroom, Uchiha Sasuke wept for the first time in fourteen years_

Far, far away, a twelve year old, dark-haired boy with obsidian eyes woke with a cry. And just like all of the other times, there was nobody there to comfort him.

**A/N- Well, since people have been wondering how Sakura died, I decided to elaborate for you guys! It was really sad to write this chapter, so I hope you guys liked it. Plus, I was listening to Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle, and it was so sad, and this chapter was so upsetting, so I had to keep myself from crying. Haha, I'm such a baby. Oh well. I know, I know, I said I wasn't gonna update for another week, but I couldn't help myself. This story is far too addicting! Anyway, NOW everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving! I know I will. My uncle's making everything homemade… yay! Oh, and I'll be gone for the weekend, but I'll try and update early on next week. Anyway, review please! **


	6. True Strength

Chapter 6: True strength

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"You look tired."

"Hn."

Sasuke didn't dare look at his pink-haired teammate. Last night's dream was still swimming in his head, reminding him viciously that she was right there; that she was right there, right beside him, _and she was unobtainable_. It was enough to drive anyone crazy. Then again, Uchiha Sasuke had never been what people called sane.

"What's bothering you?"

Sasuke didn't answer the girl, and she fell silent. Sakura looked down at the ground sadly. Of course, just because he had been slightly nice to her a couple of days ago didn't mean that he was going to flat out admit that he even acknowledged the girl for the reasons she wanted him to. Then again, him acknowledging her at all was a miracle. A bitter smile appeared on her face. He would always be out of reach for her.

She loved him so much that it hurt. There were times that she cried because of it, and she wasn't called "Forehead girl" for nothing. Sure, he might care for her (slightly, and only deep, deep in his mind) but love her? Never. She would be such a fool to think such an idiotic thing. He was _Uchiha Sasuke_, for Kami's sake. He could have any girl he wanted, so why would he choose some weak, foolish girl with pink hair and a large forehead. Sakura slowly sunk to the ground and nervously flattened her hair against her forehead.

Said pink-haired girl glanced over at Sasuke, who was leaning against the bridge with his arms crossed and eyes closed. She felt her heart sink into her chest. He would never notice her. She was like… a weed in a garden. _Useless._

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke-teme!" Sakura and Sasuke turned and faced Naruto, who was bounding towards them. Sasuke scowled darkly.

"Dobe." He said by way of greeting.

"Teme." Naruto shot back venomously.

"Idiot."

"Moron."

"Jerk."

"Wanna be."

"Pretty boy!" Naruto muttered.

"Jealous?"

"Fag."

"You wish." Sasuke sneered. Sakura sighed, and glanced at the sky. She ignored the sound of scuffling next to her, concluding the fact that Naruto had dove at Sasuke. A splash sounded; Sasuke had thrown Naruto into the river. The sound of thumping occurred, and was followed by sounds of cursing. Sakura kept her eyes trained on the vast blueness that stretched seemingly forever.

"Would you two just stop it?" Sakura snapped, and the boys looked at her, shock evident on their faces. "You're always fighting over whose better! Oh my God, it's enough to drive anyone insane! Here's a thought," Sasuke noted the sarcasm on that last bit, but allowed the girl to rant, "How about the both of you just agree that you're equal?"

"No way, Sakura-chan! Not until that bastard admits I rock!"

"Please, dobe, don't make me laugh."

"You, laugh? I'm surprised you even know that word!"

_And they're off again…_ Sakura thought dully, and leaned back against the bridge. Oh well, it didn't really matter at this point. They had been here for a while, and sooner or later, Kakashi-sensei was bound to show up and stop her fighting teammates.

Viridian eyes turned and stayed on Sasuke, who was now lying casually against the railing, with a sulking Naruto next to him. _Sasuke-kun looks tired_. Sakura sighed, and fell into place as she gazed at the boy who was a few steps away, taking in the way his hair gently scraped his face, the way his obsidian eyes stared straight ahead. Sakura felt her heart pound. _He's so perfect…_

Sakura glanced down in shame; she felt so…unworthy of him. She shook her head of her foolishness. No! She had come a long way from the girl she had been, the girl who fawned over her _precious_ Sasuke-kun and told him how much she "loved him" to this… she felt she had proven herself to be more mature than the girl with the long, petal hair who was good for nothing. No, now she was… well, perhaps accepted by him. After all, he was being a bit nicer (if that word even existed as an emotion of his) and he hadn't pushed her away as much. In fact, Sakura frowned gently, he hadn't called her annoying in a while. Maybe he was sick…?

"Sorry I'm late, I-"

"LIAR!" Sakura surprised herself; she had screamed the word without even thinking about it. It was becoming more of a bad habit. How sad.

Kakashi smiled at his students. "Ready to train?" Two groans echoed through the bustling afternoon air.

-----

"Sasuke-kun, is this really necessary?" Sakura inquired, panting as she braced her hands on her knees. Sasuke grunted at her, still as cool as a cucumber despite the fact that they had been training for what felt like forever, even though Sakura knew that it had only been an hour, perhaps.

"Just regular training isn't enough." Sasuke muttered, waiting for the girl to catch her breath. Sakura bit back the urge to roll her eyes and straightened.

"Something's bothering you, Sasuke-kun, I can tell." Her eyes stared straight into his. "Is your mark hurting…?"

Sasuke tore his eyes from her pleading viridian ones. "It's fine, Sakura." He snapped, ignoring the hurt look that he knew must've crossed her face. The dream of her dying had been reverberating in his head these past couple of weeks. And, Sakura was, as usual, right on target; his curse mark had been stinging ever since that dream. Kakashi had, of course, put on the curse seal, but that didn't stop it from hurting. Suddenly, a cool hand was on his neck, soft and soothing.

Jade eyes peered into his own obsidian. "Please don't lie to me, Sasuke." The absence of the -kun startled him for a moment, as did how bold she had become. Apparently, this occurred to her as well, seeing as how she backed away, a blush staining her pale cheeks with her eyes lowered to the ground. "Sorry." She murmured softly. "I know how you like your space and all," Sakura bit her lip, her eyes still not meeting his, and Sasuke felt uncomfortable. She _always _looked at him, no matter what, "it's just that… I'm worried about you."

Sasuke wanted to give in to the temptation of going over there and thanking her, just like he had before he left. He could still recall that night: there had been a full moon, and it had been slightly windy. Her cries filled his head; how lonely he would be, how he didn't have to go, _how much she loved him_. Just the thought sent an ache through him, an ache that he knew would never be filled. Sasuke closed his eyes, and an older Sakura flashed through his mind. She was smiling, her jounin vest fitting her snuggly while her hair was up in a bun, and then, her smile brightened, because the 22 year old Sasuke was walking towards her. He placed an arm around her waist and kissed her gently on the cheek. Sasuke wrenched his eyes open. There, right in front of him, was a younger version of the girl in his mind, but she wasn't smiling. Sasuke found that he didn't like it.

"Look, I'm fine Sakura, okay? Now, let's get back to training." Sasuke smirked at Sakura's groan. "You've had enough break-time." He told her shortly, but that didn't stop the scowl from slipping onto her face when she thought he wasn't looking. Perhaps he had misjudged her from when he had last been in this body. She wasn't as much of a fangirl as he had believed, if she was getting annoyed with him. In his fangirls eyes, he was "perfect Sasuke-kun"; in her eyes, she was Sasuke-kun, her teammate that could sometimes be just as annoying as her.

Sasuke quickly ran at the girl with a kunai, and Sakura was all prepared to block it until he disappeared. She gasped, her fist still clutching her own kunai as her ears pricked for any hint of a sound. And suddenly, she was sprawled out rather ungracefully on her stomach on the ground. She stood, and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

**Cha! Kick his ass! **Inner Sakura fumed angrily. Outer Sakura was rather inclined to agree, especially after seeing the cocky smirk on the handsome boy's face. "You have to be ready all the time for attacks, Sakura." He told her coolly.

"I _was _ready." She seethed, going into a defense stance again. "You just took me by surprise is all."

"If you're going to be a ninja then you must be prepared for anything, including sneak attacks." Sakura didn't grace him with a comment, instead quickly grabbing a shuriken and whipping it at the Uchiha. He was gone and she once again found herself in the dirt, but this time, she was lying on her back.

**Shannaro! Now I'm pissed!

* * *

**

It was getting dark before the two finally stopped. Sakura slumped against a tree, groaning and rubbing her aching body parts. She had been knocked to the ground a total of twenty-eight times. However, she had managed to get Sasuke a couple of times, so it totally made up for her rather embarrassing defeats. "You know," she panted, as she glared at him with one eye, "I'm going to be sore for a week because of you."

"Good." Sasuke grunted, and Sakura closed her eyes, chest heaving. She didn't exactly expect him to go easy on her; if he had, she wouldn't have hesitated to hurt him, future husband or not. "You're getting better." He said offhandedly after ten minutes of silence, and glanced over at the pink-haired girl. She was smiling, and he smirked. Sure, he may still miss the older Sakura. He would always miss her, and he knew that. The older her was more mature, more beautiful, and cooked a lot better.

He almost laughed out loud when he remembered how when they were nineteen, Sakura had almost burned down her apartment. All in all, she had seemed rather embarrassed about the entire incident. Not that he could blame her. Naruto had started teasing her until she growled at him and punched the blond directly in the head. After that, he never made fun of her cooking. Ever. It didn't even matter if it sucked beyond belief, he still told her it was the best homemade meal he had ever tasted. Sakura knew he was lying to her, but she let it slide. It was better to praise the medic-nin than to get beaten up by that same girl.

"You should return to your house, your parents are probably worried about you." He muttered, and he heard some rustling in the grass next to him, indicating that she was standing up.

"Yeah, you're right." She mused aloud, and Sasuke could feel her eyes on him. "Sasuke-kun, I was wondering… it's just gonna be my mom and me tonight, my dad went to go visit some family in another village, so would you like to come over for dinner? Or, do you wanna go to Ichiraku?" Sasuke repressed a groan. Okay, she was a little bit more tolerable, but she was still a fangirl, no matter what.

"No."

"To what?"

"To both offers." He could almost sense her face falling.

"Oh." She whispered softly. There was an almost awkward silence. "Well, uhm, I'm gonna go home now, Sasuke-kun. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned and started to walk away. Sasuke leaned against the tree and closed his eyes, night settling in around him. He sighed, feeling the frustration creep upon him. He had thought that he had been wrong about Sakura, that she had been making progress since the chuunin exam. A traitorous voice in his head murmured that she had, but he squashed it down. If she had gotten better, then why was she still asking him out on dates? The voice was oddly quiet for a moment.

_She loves you…_

The thought sent a jolt to his stomach, and he sat up quickly, opening his eyes. The velvety darkness was spread before him, and he outwardly cursed, realizing that he had allowed himself to get too comfortable. He could have been attacked or something, and it would have been all his fault, for being so lax about his surroundings. Sasuke scowled darkly and stood, stretching his limbs and heading back to the Uchiha district. He was, of course, mobbed by his shrieking fangirls, but he coldly brushed them off and continued to his destination. His thoughts from before kept sneaking back into his head, and each time Sasuke pushed them back more firmly.

She couldn't love him. After all, what did a twelve year old know about love? His scowl deepened. She had just said that to keep him in the village, that was all. The words meant nothing to her. However, as he ate, took a shower, and then quickly climbed into bed, his mind went creeping back to the future her. Or what he remembered of her, anyway. She was bound to be different because of his returning to the past.

Sasuke rolled over and glared at the poor, defenseless wall. She was just a stupid, weak girl! What did it matter to him, her so-called love for him? After all, tons of girls claimed to be in love with him. They were just obsessed with him, and she was a fangirl as well. He would do well to remember that.

_Oh yeah? Well, would a fangirl jump in front of a monster Gaara, armed with nothing but a kunai? _Damn his conscience.

**_Probably. They'd have to protect their precious "Sasuke-kun" after all _**was Sasuke's angry retort.

_Oh, I doubt it. They'd probably just scream your name and sit there like a rock._

_**Like how Sakura used to be? **_

_Note the used to, Uchiha Sasuke. Sakura is no longer like that. _

This time, Sasuke didn't have a wise comment.

----

Months had passed, and still Sakura and Sasuke trained. "Sasuke-kun," Sakura groaned, just able to block one of his kunais with her own, "not that I'm complaining, but how come we're doing more training if we already do the same with Kakashi-sensei?"

"Because you're still weak." Sasuke told her, and Sakura bit her lip. _Ouch_.

"Do you honestly think so, Sasuke-kun?" She whispered, then shrieked as she landed on her butt. She looked up and found dark eyes glaring into her own.

"Yes." He said simply, and Sakura got up, watching him warily, determined not to cry at the coldness of his words.

"All you do is watch the idiot and I train."

"On occasion it's you and I, or Naruto and I." She protested, and Sasuke shrugged.

"Yes, but rarely. Even then, you lose. If you're going to be a konoichi, then you've got to train, and become better at it. You're not going to have successful missions if you just sit there and do nothing all day, like you normally do." He watched her eyes slide shut and knew he had hurt her feelings once more. Well, tough. She wasn't going to get any better if he was going to baby her, and she should know that.

"I-I'm going to go, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, and she stood, opening her eyes, but her gaze was directed at a point over his shoulder, and Sasuke frowned. She wasn't looking at him again.

"I didn't say training was over." He snapped.

"I've gotta go help my mom." She told him, and turned gracefully. "I'll see you at training with Kakashi-sensei. Bye, Sasuke." Again with the absence of his usual honorific?

"You're a horrible liar." Sasuke told her, but Sakura didn't comment, she just kept on walking. The Uchiha heir's frown deepened; what on Earth was the matter with her? "Meet me here tomorrow after training with Kakashi." It wasn't a request, it was an order. Sakura turned and regarded him coolly.

"Maybe." was all she said, and continued to trek back to her home, leaving a gaping -and rather confused- Sasuke watching her.

**A/N- Sorry for the late update! I know, I know, I said I was gonna update last week, but I never got around to it. I've been really busy with my World History project. Stupid Mrs. Krebs, she needs to get laid. Oops, did I say that out loud? But anyway, it's just been a hellish couple of weeks for me, and I've had some major writers block with this chapter, but now I'm all finished. I'm not sure when the next update will be, because I'll be extremely busy these next couple of weeks. But I'll try and get in some quality writing time in between cursing out my World History teacher and doing that stupid research project she assigned us. Grrr… Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. If you liked it, review! If you think it sucked and that I should never write a single story ever again, review! Ciao my loves! **


	7. Apologies

Chapter 7: Apologies

Sasuke paced, running a hand through his soft hair and scowling. "You know, teme, if you had just apologized to Sakura-chan then she'd forgive you." Naruto butted in, watching as the snow fell with a tiny smile on his face. Sasuke's scowl deepened, and he glared at his best friend.

"Shut up dobe, it's not my fault that she's weak and believes every word I say."

"Well, if you hadn't called her weak, then she wouldn't have gone out and trained in order to prove herself and gotten sick." Naruto shot back angrily, then sent a worried look at the girl in the bed next to him. Haruno Sakura was barely ever quiet, and this was one of the few moments that she was. Then again, there wasn't much to be said for that, especially considering the fact that she was incredibly sick. Sasuke glanced at her red, sweaty face and felt those familiar tentacles of guilt wrapping themselves around his insides.

A couple of days ago, Sakura still hadn't been speaking to him much, and he had called her weak again. She had bitten her lip and hadn't responded. The next day, the two boys had been waiting for her at their bridge, and Kakashi had informed them all that Sakura was sick because she had been out late, training it appeared. Kakashi, it appeared, had seen Sasuke and Sakura's little episode, and was now punishing him by forcing the Uchiha to watch over his pink-haired teammate and take care of her whilst she was sick. Well, Sasuke supposed he deserved it.

"Honestly teme," Naruto sighed, "By your actions, I'd think you weren't a prodigy." He yelped when Sasuke smacked him in the back of the head.

"Dobe, it doesn't matter. I'm still smarter than you are." Naruto scowled at the boy and slouched lower in the chair, sulking. Sasuke smirked at having won their little battle. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be training with Kakashi?" Naruto glanced at the clock.

"Yeah, but he won't get there for another hour."

"You don't know that, idiot. You know how he gets when we're later than he is. You don't want to be running laps around Konoha again, do you?" Naruto shuddered at the memory.

"Alright, alright. Point taken. I'll see you later." He paused in the doorway. "And you'd better take good care of Sakura-chan!" And with those parting words, he left. Sasuke rolled his eyes, then returned them to the girl lying in the bed. Despite the fact that he could feel the exhaustion seeping into his bones, he settled himself comfortably in the chair Naruto had previously occupied and watched Sakura's chest rise and fall with every breath she took in and exhaled.

Sasuke felt something inside of him stir at the sight. The guilt from before was creeping up once again, and something else was there. Frowning, the boy leaned back in the chair, dark eyes fixed on the female. He didn't remember this ever happening in his future… then again, before he left, Sakura had been basically useless, and she had never, ever fought with him. Or even yelled at him. Only after he had come back had she screamed at him. A smirk threatened to surface as he remembered that day. To say that he had been shocked was an understatement; this was SAKURA that they were talking about. Sweet, innocent Sakura who had always hidden behind her teammates and clung like a leech to her precious "Sasuke-kun". And then, there she was, telling him off. Not only that, but she had been defending _Naruto. _Naruto, of all people! The one person that Sakura had yelled at and hit and she had been defending Sasuke that entire time. But once he had returned…well, it was like it was opposite day.

His mind snapped back to reality when he heard the girl groan, and an eyebrow arched. She let out a soft sound and twisted slightly in the bed sheets, a frown marring her face. What could possibly be bothering Sakura…? Sasuke watched her quietly, and then realized that she was probably having a nightmare. He could tell by the look on her face. But how was he supposed to make it stop? He wondered what would happen if he tried to wake her up…

Sighing, the last Uchiha put his hand on her overly-large forehead, but even that didn't seem to calm her down. Okay, plan B time. "Shhh, Sakura, it's okay. I'm right here." It appeared that even when she was asleep, Sakura knew the sound of Sasuke's voice. She calmed down and leaned slightly into his hand. He resisted the urge to snap back his hand, and only when he knew that she was fast asleep did he pull it away. She immediately began to whimper, and Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Tch. Annoying." He muttered, and placed his hand where it had formerly been. Sakura calmed down.

"Sasuke-kun." She murmured, and Sasuke sighed. He got up and headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl, filling it with water. He left that there and walked around her house, trying aimlessly to find the linen closet. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, he succeeded in his personal mission. Smirking at the little innocent towel, he headed back up to her room; Sakura was whimpering again, and Sasuke dipped the cloth into the cool water and placed it on her forehead, and Sakura stopped her thrashing the moment it touched her heated skin.

Sasuke turned his dark eyes to the dimming sky and sighed. Her parents had left to urgently attend to some other sick relative, and it was _just _a coincidence that Sasuke was around to care for their daughter. The Uchiha snorted; he'd bet his life that Kakashi had something to do with this. It was just far too convenient.

He glanced at Sakura once again and removed the washcloth, placed it in the bowl again and rung it out slightly, then returned it to her forehead. He frowned at the look on her face; it was one that he remembered rather well. Whenever he looked in the mirror after having a nightmare about Itachi, he saw that look. Sasuke decided it was one that he never wanted to see again on Sakura's face.

The youngest Uchiha glanced at the clock and found that it wasn't that late, but he hadn't eaten all day, and he was just now feeling his hunger. His lips twitched downward. On one hand, he really didn't want to leave Sakura. On the other hand, he _was _rather hungry. He got up and wandered downstairs, made himself something light to eat, microwaved it, then headed back upstairs to Sakura's room.

Her breathing was peaceful once more, and he felt some of the knots in his stomach unwind. Sasuke tore his eyes away from Sakura and glared at the night sky outside her window. What did he think he was doing?! Getting attached to Sakura shouldn't be in his plans; after all, he didn't know if tomorrow he would wake up once more in his twenty-two year old body. However, Sasuke found that he didn't want to return to his future. There was no Sakura there, and he was willing to bet that Naruto would never be the same after the death of their pink-haired friend. However, the entire reason that Sasuke didn't want to go ahead ten years from now was currently lying in the bed. Sasuke sighed, and angrily ate his food, going downstairs and placing it in the sink. He was in trouble.

----

When the raven-haired man awoke, there was a comforting feeling surrounding him that he hadn't felt in years. In fact, it felt almost as if someone was stroking his hair. Their fingers were soft and smooth, he could tell by how gently their nails raked his scalp. The person's touch was also soothing, and it felt as if it was his mother again. However, Sasuke caught up with his senses and jerked up immediately. Sakura drew back, startled. "S-sorry, Sasuke-kun." She stammered, "It's just that," she bit her lip, "I've always wanted to see how your hair felt."

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, not up to telling her that a tiny part of him actually didn't mind it. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura shrugged. "Alright, I suppose." She sighed, and raked a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry I was so mean to you." She apologized softly. Sasuke had to forcibly keep his mouth from sliding downwards in shock. She was… apologizing to him for her being mean to him?! He should be apologizing to her!

Sasuke blinked. Oh, he SO did not just have that thought.

"Forget about it." He muttered, getting up and shoving his hands into his pockets and striding over to her window. However, it did no good, because it was dark out. Sasuke glanced at the clock. "Go back to bed, Sakura. It's only a quarter to four." She frowned at the dark-haired boy.

"I slept for quite a long time, Sasuke-kun." She reminded him lightly. "If anything, it's you that should be sleeping." She blushed. "Thank you for watching over me."

"Kakashi told me to." was his immediate answer, and he watched silently as her face fell, and her gaze rested upon the beige carpet.

"Oh," she whispered softly. "Well, thank you anyway."

"Hn."

"Sasuke-kun, you didn't answer my question."

"I don't need much sleep." Sakura sighed, bunching up the comforter on her bed. A bitter smile twisted her lips. Of course he hadn't been there just to make sure she was okay! God, what was she, stupid? She was just a teammate in his eyes. She laughed a little sadly to herself. Sasuke watched the girl through her reflection in the window and almost winced at her expression.

Sasuke remembered what Naruto had yelled at him after he had returned from Sound, and Sakura hadn't talked to him. When Sasuke had coldly pointed this out, the dobe had told him why.

_"You **always **find a way to hurt Sakura-chan! No matter what, no matter how nice she was to you, you were always a bastard to her!" Naruto's chest heaved slightly in anger. He murmured softly, "You always hurt Sakura-chan, and I guess after a while, she just got tired of it."_

"Sasuke-kun?" The obsidian-eyed man turned and looked at her. She glanced up at him. "What do you think our futures will be like?" Sasuke froze. Unbidden images of Sakura flowed into his mind.

_She was seventeen, and her eyes sparkled with tears as Sasuke re-appeared through the gates of Konoha for the first time in five years. Naruto was proudly shouting that Sasuke had returned, but Sasuke took no notice of this, as his gaze had rested upon a pink-haired girl. Their eyes locked, and much to his surprise, Sakura only offered him a small, sad smile before turning on her heel and walking away._

_She was eighteen, and he would never admit it, but she was as close to pretty as he would ever call somebody. She was also dedicated to her work as a medic-nin, and he had to grudgingly say that she was good at what she did._

_She was twenty-one, and she laughed loudly with Naruto as they drunk themselves silly at her birthday party. "C'mon, Sasuke!" Sakura said, throwing an arm around his shoulders as he scowled at her. "Live it up!" A pout adorned her lips, her cheeks flushed with color and her eyes sparkling. She smiled suddenly, that same smile that she had reserved for him when they were genin. She pulled him over to their other friends, and when everybody left, Sasuke carried a passed-out Sakura to his apartment, where he watched over her while she slept and made sure she didn't choke._

_She was on the verge of twenty-two, and had fallen asleep while working on her medical papers. When Naruto and Sasuke had awakened her, she had smiled blearily at them and rubbed her eyes, apologizing. Although Sasuke was worried about her health, he had noticed how much stronger she had become, and had he not been who he was, he probably would've congratulated her._

_She was twenty-two, and had somehow wound up at his house. A pink lock of hair escaped the messy ponytail she had thrown it into after apologizing a million times for showing up at his house, unannounced, while it had been pouring out. A tiny part of his brain noted how good she looked in one of his last Uchiha shirts and his boxers on, but Sasuke quickly squished that little voice, and his gaze rested on that stupid piece of hair. It was irritating him, and he moved it back, putting it around her ear. Sakura leaned more towards his hand and mumbled, "Sasuke-kun." He froze; she hadn't called him with that particular suffix since he was twelve, and it brought back waves of nostalgia. Taking one last glance at the face of Sakura, sleeping on his bed and in his clothes, he headed into the kitchen, ignoring the image of Sakura wearing that shirt all the time, and with a ring on her finger. That was never going to happen._

_They were all twenty-two, and Sasuke was walking up an aisle, and when he got to his desired spot, he glanced into Sakura's peaceful face and swallowed hard. This really was the end. Sakura was dead, and that unbidden dream of Haruno Sakura becoming Uchiha Sakura resounded in his head, and Sasuke turned away quickly. Regret was the bitterest pill to swallow._

A twelve year old Sasuke glared at Sakura. "Nobody knows what the future will be like, Sakura." He told her harshly and stalked out of the room. A bewildered Sakura watched him, not knowing that once he got downstairs, he expelled a breath, sliding against a wall and gazing up into the ceiling. Indeed, regret was the bitterest pill to swallow.

-----

_Would you know my name  
If I saw you in heaven?  
Would it be the same  
If I saw you in heaven?_

_I must be strong  
And carry on,  
'Cause I know I don't belong  
Here in heaven._

_Would you hold my hand  
If I saw you in heaven?  
Would you help me stand  
If I saw you in heaven?_

_I'll find my way  
Through night and day,  
'Cause I know I just can't stay  
Here in heaven._

_Time can bring you down,  
Time can bend your knees.  
Time can break your heart,  
Have you begging please, begging please._

_Beyond the door,  
There's peace I'm sure,  
And I know there'll be no more  
Tears in heaven._

_Would you know my name  
If I saw you in heaven?  
Would it be the same  
If I saw you in heaven?_

_I must be strong  
And carry on,  
'Cause I know I don't belong  
Here in heaven._

-----

**A/N- Eep, sorry for the late update! It's been like, two weeks since I last updated, right? I sowwy! It's just that these last few weeks have been hectic, to say at best. But I honestly think that this is my best chapter yet! You guys can thank my awesome stalker, Highflyincherries, for lending me her muse pandas. Anyway, the song at the bottom is called Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton. It's dedicated to his son, who died when he was like, a toddler or a young child and he wrote a song about it. It's really pretty, you guys should listen to it! Anyway, I just thought that it'd fit the way Sasuke feels about Sakura after she dies in the future. I'm not sure when it'll be the next time I'll update, because Christmas is coming up, and my family is all about x-mas. Probably in the first or second week of January, if not before then, if I'm lucky. I can guarantee you guys I won't update before Christmas, so until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everybody!**


	8. A Team 7 Christmas

Chapter 8: A Team 7 Christmas

Sakura had gotten better, and she and Sasuke had both pretended to forget about it and once again were on speaking terms. It was now a few days until Christmas, and much to Sasuke's dismay, there wasn't going to be any more missions until after the holidays. However, his two teammates seemed ecstatic by this piece of news.

"No more missions for two weeks!" Sakura sang out happily, spinning as the snow fell in clusters. Sasuke scowled while Naruto grinned, placing his hands behind his head in a gesture that he did frequently.

"Not only that but Christmas is in a couple of days!" He shouted, and it could have been the fact that Sakura was in such a cheerful mood, but she smiled at the Naruto and starting giggling.

"I know what I'm getting you for Christmas!" She teased, and Naruto's face split into another grin.

"Ramen?" He asked in excitement, and Sakura nodded. The azure-eyed boy rushed up to her and began to spin her.

"Naruto!" She squealed but started to laugh. Sasuke watched them, the frown on his face becoming more pronounced. He tore his eyes away from the two; no, he wasn't jealous. He DEFINITELY wasn't jealous. After all, in the past, Naruto had done that more times than he could count. But here, in the past… it just took him by surprise. Yes, that's it. He convinced himself that it was out of a slight shock that Sakura actually allowed Naruto to do that is what he was feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Well, I know what I'm getting you for Christmas too, Sakura-chan! Dattebayo!" Sakura giggled. Sasuke scoffed and glanced to his right. The meadow was filled with snow, and it was just total white for as far as he could see.

"Don't feel left out, bastard, I got you something too." Naruto told him, smirking. Sasuke grunted.

"I don't care." He muttered, and the other boy frowned, but then turned to Sakura and they began to discuss Christmas, with Sakura occasionally bonking Naruto on the head for being an idiot.

"I got you something too, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, shifting her emerald eyes to the raven-haired male.

"Hn." Sakura smiled a little bit sadly.

"I know you didn't get me anything, but that's okay!" She added, and Sasuke could hear the fake cheerfulness radiating from it. "After all, Christmas is about giving, not receiving."

"Aa." Sasuke agreed, eyeing the pink-haired girl. She flashed him a tiny smile.

"Well, I'm gonna go back to my house and wrap the gifts. See you guys in two days!" In two days it would be Christmas Eve, and Kakashi was holding a little Team 7 party that they were forced to go to. Otherwise, the thought of going wouldn't have even entertained Sasuke's mind.

Sasuke and Naruto watched Sakura bound off. "You better have gotten her something, teme." Naruto said darkly, glancing over his shoulder at his best friend. "I know Sakura-chan says it doesn't matter to her, but I know it does." Sasuke glared at the blond.

"Whether or not I got her something is none of your business, dobe." He told the other boy coolly. Naruto regarded him carefully before smiling.

"Alright then, Sasuke-teme. I'll see you in a couple of days." The blond said, his face splitting into a grin as he waved at the other boy and headed back to his house. Sasuke shook his head at Naruto. That boy could be so unpredictable; one minute he was pissed, the next minute cheerful. Seriously, it was just a little bit weird.

Sasuke continued on his way to the Uchiha district, hands shoved in pockets when he noticed something. Dark hair swung into eyes the color of charcoal as he surveyed the place. Smirking, Sasuke went inside.

* * *

"Ohayo Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said cheerfully as she opened the door to allow the Uchiha survivor to step through.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, taking off his scarf and coat and hanging it on the rack. He glanced around the room; Kakashi had somehow managed to rent out a tiny room for them, and there was a fire burning cheerfully in the hearth.

"You're, uhm, a bit early." Sakura said, laughing nervously. Indeed, the tree was just being put up and there was a large box near it which Sasuke assumed held the lights and ornaments. She spied the object in his hand and a look of disbelief crossed her face. "You brought presents?" Sasuke nodded, and Sakura's eyes sparkled with happiness. Sasuke turned away before a blush could break across his face.

When they had their first Christmas as Team 7 (when they were 18) Sakura had just nodded at the fact that Sasuke had brought Christmas presents and directed him to put them under the tree. Now, her face shone with delight, and Sasuke couldn't believe that such a simple act could make the girl so happy.

Smiling slightly, Sakura turned on her heel and headed back over to the Christmas tree and began to hang up the ornaments. Sasuke watched for a little while, but the tree was far too large for her to reach all of it. He saw her pout as she gazed up at the top parts of the tree, and before she could blink, there were strong arms wrapping around her middle. She squeaked and glanced down.

"S-Sasuke-kun, you didn't have to do that! I could have just found a step stool, or a ladder or something." Sasuke shrugged his strong shoulders, causing Sakura's height to increase slightly.

"It's easier this way." He explained patiently, and Sakura blinked before a smile slowly spread across her face.

"But won't you get tired from having to lift me up constantly and put me down?" A frown marred her face, "After all, I'd be more annoying than usual." Sasuke felt a pang run through his stomach when she said that. She was echoing him, and what he had constantly called her.

Sasuke quickly found a solution to their little problem.

He set Sakura down gently, then grabbed the box with one arm, setting it so that it laid on his palm and arm, and hoisted Sakura up with his other arm. Sakura blushed, then smiled, and together, the two got to work.

Sakura, apparently, had sprayed herself with some stupid holiday perfume, because she smelled like gingerbread houses. Sasuke practically had his nose buried in her sweater so he inhaled it every time he attempted to breathe. He almost groaned out loud, but after a half-hour, got used to the spicy scent and continued to watch Sakura reach down for the box and grab ornaments. His nose wrinkled when he spotted that she had put their team photo in a little box and it was now hanging on the tree.

Sakura reached down and grabbed some lights. "Uh, Sasuke-kun?" She asked hesitantly, glancing over her shoulder so that her emerald eyes locked with his obsidian ones. "In order to put the lights on, I'll have to circle the tree."

"Do the bottom later, and put up the star now." Sasuke muttered, and his female teammate nodded as Sasuke circled the pine tree, feeling rather self-conscious.

He had Sakura in his arms… God, what would Naruto think if he were to walk in on them?

Sasuke scowled at the thought; Naruto tended to ruin the best moments. Well, Sakura was being quiet, and all was peaceful, and Sasuke did NOT need that loud blond to come in a mess up the (rather nice, admittedly) atmosphere.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun, I'm done!" Sakura said cheerfully, and Sasuke let her down. She smiled brightly at him and plugged in the lights. "Ohhh…" whispered Sakura appreciatively, and almost unconsciously, she placed her head on Sasuke's shoulder. Surprisingly, the raven-haired boy allowed her for a couple of moments, reveling in the warmth her head brought before gently nudging her. She straightened, blushing.

"S-sorry," she stammered and let out an awkward laugh, "I just got caught up in the moment."

"Aa." Sasuke said, smirking as he turned around quickly, but Sakura noticed that his smirk was a borderline smile and just the thought made a bright grin flit onto her face. "Anyway, Sasuke-kun, do you want some hot chocolate? I made some for all of us, and I'm pretty sure it's still hot." After a moments hesitation, Sasuke nodded, and Sakura beamed happily before rushing off and coming back with two thermoses.

Suddenly the door opened. "Sakura-chan? Sasuke-teme? Are you guys here?" A voice shouted, and Sakura smiled.

"Yeah, Naruto, we're in here." A golden-haired boy trudged into the room wearing a (what else?) orange down jacket. Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Naruto, go take off your boots!" She yelled, getting up and coming over to him and smacking him in the back of his head.

"Ouch! Sorry, Sakura-chan!" Naruto apologized hastily, grinning at her. His blond hair was concealed underneath an orange ski cap with a black trim. (**A/N- You guys know, those winter hats that come up to your forehead? Yeah, those. I forgot the name of it, haha.) **Naruto shed his outer garments rather quickly and hung them up next to Sasuke and Sakura's.

"I have hot chocolate, if you want some." Sakura offered and the other male nodded.

"Yeah, sure. It's cold outside!" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"No shit, dobe. It's the end of December; surely you didn't expect sun and flowers?" Naruto glared at his best friend.

"Shut up, teme." He muttered, and Sasuke smirked as Sakura came out with another canteen, and the three seated themselves on the lumpy -but comfortable- couch as they waited for their perpetually late sensei. Sakura was seated in the middle, acting as a medium between her two boys, as always.

"You did a good job on the tree, Sakura-chan." Naruto complimented absentmindedly, drinking the warm liquid and gazing at the Christmas tree.

"Well, Sasuke-kun helped." The blond-haired boy to her right stared at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Really?" Sakura nodded, and Naruto glanced at Sasuke. "Good job, bastard. I didn't think you had it in you." Sasuke scowled, but didn't even honor that stupid statement with a comeback. God!

An hour later, Sakura was pacing around, scowling. "Where is that stupid sensei of ours?" She grumbled angrily. Just as if he had heard her, the door swung open, and before the silver-haired jounin could make up some bull-faced lie, Sakura and Naruto were already yelling at him.

"You're late!" Kakashi opened his mouth- "Liar!" He looked at the two of them in bewilderment.

"But I didn't even say anything!"

"Well, we all knew that you were gonna lie anyway." Naruto pointed out, to which Sakura nodded to. Even Sasuke had to bite back the urge to agree. Although the three students couldn't see it, they figured a smile was forming beneath the mask.

"Anyway, are we all ready to open our gifts?" Sakura nodded eagerly, as did Naruto. Kakashi handed out his presents first: Sakura received some kunais and shurikens, for Naruto he gave exploding tags and a book on how to control your chakra, and for Sasuke he got chakra string. Grinning brightly, Sakura presented next.

She got Naruto ramen, (and promptly got tackled and hugged for it) for Kakashi she got him some more dark masks, and for Sasuke she gave a navy blue scarf with the Uchiha symbol sowed in.

Naruto got up and extracted his presents, and he gave Sakura some butterfly barrettes and hair scrunchies, for Sasuke he got a kunai with Sasuke's initials engraved on it, and for Kakashi he gave a book called Time: How to never be late again. At this, Naruto was certain that he received a smile from his sensei.

Last, but not least, was Sasuke. He gave Naruto a real leather pouch to hold his weapons, he got those perverted books Kakashi liked to read for the melanin-less haired man, and for Sakura he got medical books, because he knew that she was interested in all that stuff.

Sakura glanced at the time. "Oh no, I've gotta go! My parents want me home."

"Okay, Sakura. Sasuke will walk you." Kakashi said calmly, and Naruto immediately began to protest.

"What?! Kakashi-sensei, I can walk Sakura-chan home!"

"No, Naruto. You're going to help me clean this up." Naruto began to complain loudly as Sasuke got up and placed his things in a bag. Bidding the angry blond and their calm-faced sensei a good night and Merry Christmas, the two headed over to Sakura's house. Sasuke had stuffed his hands in his pockets to ward them from the cold, and glanced over at his teammates form.

"You know, Sasuke-kun, you don't have to walk me home." Sakura said and looked over at her crush.

"Hn. You never know who's out tonight, and Kakashi and Naruto would have my head if I didn't do as they said." Sasuke told her, and Sakura smiled slightly before nodding in acceptance, and the rest of the way was in silence.

"Well, we're here." Sakura announced brightly and faced the dark-haired boy. "Well, thank you for walking me home, Sasuke-kun." She smiled at him, the one smile that she gave to him and him only. "But how come you gave me medical books?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"You said that you wanted to become a medic-nin." He told her, and a pink eyebrow arched in surprise.

"You were listening?" She asked in slight disbelief, and Sasuke shot her an annoyed look.

"Well, you were practically talking my ear off."

"Yeah, but you could've just tuned me out." Sasuke sighed.

"Whatever. The point is, I got you a present. Happy?" Sakura glanced down at her feet, embarrassed.

"I am, Sasuke-kun. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful, I'm sorry." She bit her lip and glanced at him. "It's just that I always seem to annoy you, and you never seem to listen whenever I talk to you. You just caught me off-guard when you knew what I wanted to be, that's all." Sasuke regarded the girl carefully.

"Well, I got you the textbooks, and your parents are waiting for you." He nodded at the window, where her mom stood, smiling. She looked like Sakura, only her rosette hair was pulled up into a messy bun and her blue eyes shone with holiday cheer. She waved to her daughter and moved from the window. "Merry Christmas, Sakura." Sasuke muttered, and turned to leave.

"Sasuke-kun, wait." The boy turned, and he watched Sakura lean in. He felt the slight pressure on his cheek, but it only lasted for a moment before Sakura pulled back, blushing darker than he had ever seen. "Merry Christmas, Sasuke-kun." She whispered, and then smiled at him before heading into his house.

Sasuke walked back to the Uchiha district, his mind focused firmly on what had just happened. Sakura had just kissed him. On the cheek. Damn, he was getting soft! However, a small smile brushed across Uchiha Sasuke's face before it was stoic once more. Merry Christmas indeed.

**A/N- Okay, okay. I know I said I wouldn't update until January, but this idea was just too good to pass up. Besides, I wanted to add some more light-heartedness to the story, and I was actually going to make a one-shot with this idea, only slightly different. Oh well. Reviews please!**

**-IMPORTANT NEWS!-**

**Does anybody here read Harry Potter? J.K Rowling just announced the 7th HP book! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Freaks out and dies) OH MY GOD! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL JULY! And I don't know about you guys, but that title is a serious bad omen. It's got more bad luck than a failing report card and a parent conference put together! **

**Happy Holidays everyone, and see you in '07!**


	9. Regret

Chapter 9: Regret

December gave way into January, and it was cold and blustery outside, with people in Konoha only going out if necessary. Of course, ninjas were expected to go out, which is how Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke all found themselves waiting for Kakashi at their normal meeting bridge. "You know, he could _try _to be a little bit earlier, since we're out here freezing our buns off." Naruto growled irritably, his nose buried in a thick jacket. Sakura didn't reply; she was far too cold, and Sasuke never replied. The azure-eyed boy sulked, and silence reigned once more.

Sakura sighed and glanced at the watch that her parents had gotten her for Christmas. He was several hours late, and while this wasn't unusual, it was more irritating than normal. They were all frigidly cold, and all she wanted to do was train and get home to the roaring fire that she knew was waiting for her. Sakura shivered slightly at the thought, although her boys merely thought that it was just from the temperature. Well, that was an added factor as well.

A poof alerted them to Kakashi's presence, but they were all so cold that they didn't even react. Their sensei frowned, used to being scolded for being late. Perhaps he had kept them waiting too long… With a sigh, the silver-haired man awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright, let's get started."

Hours later, the three of them bade each other goodbye and headed to their respectable houses. Sakura shuddered and burrowed deeper into her coat. God, it was cold! The pink-haired female sighed and walked faster towards her house. She finally reached it and opened the door, then frowned. How come the lights were out…? "Mom? Dad? Are you guys home?" She called out, slipping off her boots and outer winter garments. No response.

Frowning, Sakura headed into the kitchen and noticed a yellow post-it note stuck to the fridge. Sighing, she headed over, and noticed the script of her mother.

_Sakura,_

_We're sorry to leave you on such short notice, darling,_

_but Hokage-sama is giving us a mission to Mist. We're_

_sorry we didn't get to inform you, but this mission is of the_

_utmost importance. Your father left you money- it's on your_

_dresser. Use it for food, although I left you a couple of plates _

_for you to heat up, since we just went food shopping and you won't_

_need to do it for a while. Have fun, sweetheart, and don't stay up too late._

_Mother_

Scowling, Sakura ripped off the note and bunched it into her hands, throwing it into the trash. Having her parents leave wasn't a big deal; they did it all the time. She didn't know why they didn't just leave her a sticky note that simply said they were on a mission, because after all, they were constantly on missions.

Ripping open the fridge door, she grabbed the plate and shoved it into the microwave, heating it up. Sighing, the frustrated girl ran an agitated hand through her hair. Okay, so maybe she shouldn't really blame her parents. After all, they were just doing their job. But still, they could've tried to be home a little bit more often.

Grabbing the hot plate, Sakura hissed and almost dropped it. She placed it quickly on the counter and promptly glared at the innocent little thing. She was being an idiot… gingerly she picked up the plate by the sides and sat it down on the table. She grabbed her chopsticks, and after giving thanks, she broke them and began to eat heartily. Eating alone was nothing new to the girl; there had been many a nights where her only company was her cat, Reina. **(A/N-Reina means graceful. I thought it was fitting, because cats are graceful.)**

Finished eating, Sakura got up and placed it in the sink. She tilted her head, debating; to wash, or not to wash, that was the question. Finally, she shrugged. Well, she'd wash them later or something. Right now, she wanted to curl up on the couch with a nice, warm cup of tea and the book that Sasuke-kun gave her about medicine. Nodding to herself, Sakura got up and headed upstairs, quickly throwing on a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt and grabbing her book (before turning up the thermostat) and went back downstairs.

Smiling, she grabbed a fuzzy blanket and curled it around herself, then cracked open the book and began to read, content. She would've been a lot happier with a cup of tea, but she had just eaten, and for some reason the idea of the hot drink seemed unappealing. Plus, she was way too comfortable to move now… so comfortable that Sakura didn't realize that she had fallen asleep.

Before she knew it, it was morning. She sat up quickly and looked around, blinking and yawning. The knocking persisted and Sakura got up, grumbling loudly. She wrenched open the door, already in a bad mood for having been woken up. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!" There, standing before her, was Uchiha Sasuke. _Oh…my… God..._ Sakura thought faintly to herself. "I am SO sorry Sasuke-kun!" She wailed, distressed. "It's just that I just woke up and was kinda mad." The pink-haired female chuckled nervously, feeling her insides dribble into nothingness from her embarrassment.

"Hn, whatever. Kakashi called training, lets go."

"What? But I thought that we didn't have any training today?!" Sakura protested, angry. Okay, so she wasn't so peeved about it being _Sasuke _having woken up, but she really wasn't in the mood to train so early in the morning, especially when she had just woken up. Sasuke merely shrugged. Sighing, Sakura ran an agitated hand through her hair. "Let me go get dressed."

"Hn."

"Come in, you can sit on the couch. I'll be right out." The dark-haired male didn't say anything, but he came in anyway and sat down on the place Sakura had previously fallen asleep on. Sakura quickly shut the door and went upstairs, getting dressed into her usual clothing and came back downstairs ten minutes later. He was sifting through the book she had been reading, and he glanced up when she bounded the last stair.

"You read this?" He asked, and Sakura nodded. Sasuke looked back down, then placed the book on the table and stood, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading for the door. Sakura ran over and caught up, a bright smile on her face. She dressed in a jacket and put on some boots, and then locked the door after they left, placing her hands behind her back as they walked.

"So, why do you think Kakashi-sensei is calling us for training today?" She received a look.

"To train." Immediately, Sakura's cheeks flared with embarrassment.

"I-I mean, I know THAT. I mean, it's supposed to be our day off, so how come we have to train?" Sasuke shrugged. "So, uhm, it's cold out, isn't it?" Sasuke turned his head towards her, and the look on his face said, _obviously, idiot. _Sakura glanced down at the ground. God, could she possibly GET any lamer? Only desperate people talk about the weather. "Where's Naruto?"

"At the bridge."

"How come he didn't come with you?" Sasuke merely shrugged again, and Sakura sighed. He really WAS a man of few words. She gave up trying to talk and instead focused on walking without tripping, something that seemed to happen a lot since when she was in the presence of Uchiha Sasuke.

The two finally reached the bridge. "Sakura-chaann!" Sakura looked at the blond and smiled.

"Hey, Naruto." She greeted back, heading over and standing next to him, leaning against the railing while Sasuke stood next to her.

"Do you know how come we have to be here? It's our day off!" Naruto protested, and Sakura shrugged.

"I'm just as confused as you are." She murmured, then sighed, tilting her head from side to side and cracking it. God, she was so tired! What had Kakashi-sensei been _thinking_, getting them up so early on their day off?! If she could, she would totally kick his ass.

Hours later, when the sun was fully up and was now shining down on them, (but it was still pretty cold out) Kakashi poofed out of thin air, and immediately had two voices yelling at him. Kakashi sighed, and raised two hands in defense.

"Alright, I know you guys want to know what you're doing here on your day off-" the voices got louder, "but I have some pretty big news." He stared at all three of his students, totally serious. What they were about to hear was going to alter their lives. "Naruto, do you remember how you wanted someone to train you and make you stronger?" The blond boy nodded, still oblivious. "Well, I pulled a few strings and one of the legendary sannin is going to train you." Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Are you serious, Kakashi-sensei?" The silver-haired man nodded, and Naruto threw himself at his sensei. Kakashi smirked then gently pushed Naruto off of him. "And Sasuke… I'll be training you myself." Said boy raised an eyebrow and did his famous face gesture.

"Hn. For how long?"

"Both you and Naruto will be training for two to three years." Both boys nodded, and Sakura smiled weakly. "The two of you should be ready in about a week. Oh, and Sakura?" The pink-haired female glanced at her sensei. His one eye was kind, and she hated it. She hated anybody's pity; they all knew that Haruno Sakura was the weakest one of Team Seven. Of course Kakashi-sensei would never appoint anyone or himself to train her, because it would just be useless. "Seeing as how Sasuke got you a medical book, and I believe that you want to be a medic-nin, perhaps you should go speak to the Hokage. After all, she too is a legendary sannin." He placed a hand on her hair, and Sakura didn't feel so bad.

"Okay, Kakashi-sensei." She agreed softly, and the older man nodded.

"Alright, boys, meet me here on this bridge a week from now at around eight am." And thus, Kakashi left just as abruptly as he had come. Sakura smiled sadly and waved goodbye to her two boys. She continued walking home, closing her eyes tightly. Awhile ago, she had been cursing the fact that she would have training. Now that she wouldn't have training for a week, she longed for it, knowing what was going to happen at the end of this week.

---

Sakura moaned blearily, a hand reaching out from under her covers and blindly groping for her buzzing alarm clock. She peeked out her head, cursing rather fluently as she grabbed the offending object and flung it across the room, where it hit the wall and bounced onto the floor. She scowled; she had forgotten that the thing had some unbreakable jutsu on it. Damn it, now she wouldn't have the satisfaction of watching it blow into a billion little pieces.

Groaning to herself, she got up and stumbled into the shower. She sighed as she stripped out of her warm, fuzzy pj's but felt better when she felt the hot water hit her. She began to hum and she washed her hair and body, and then ten minutes later stepped out, feeling that rush of cool air hit her. She shivered slightly and hurried to her closet and pulled on a pair of black jeans and a red sweater before quickly drying her hair. Sakura glanced at the clock and almost started cursing again.

However, she just grabbed her jacket and shoved her keys in the pocket before she threw on her boots and locked the door, hurrying over to the bridge where Team Seven always meets. _Met_ Sakura sadly corrected herself. Today was the day that three major males in her life (excluding her father) were leaving.

She slid slightly on the gravel, but Sakura quickly regained her balance and fixed her hair, pretending that that SO had never happened and nobody had seen it. Which was a total lie, of course. Sasuke and Naruto were now looking at Sakura as if she had told them that she was now going to jump Hyuuga Neji's bones and to have a nice life.

"I wanted to see you guys before you left." She explained, discreetly trying to catch her breath. Naruto nodded, and Kakashi came strolling up.

"Ready, you guys?" Sakura thought he raised an eyebrow at her. "Sakura, what are you doing here?" The konoichi resisted the urge to roll her eyes and tell Kakashi that she was there to kill them all and achieve world domination, cue in evil scary laughter.

"I'm here to send you guys off." Was her answer instead.

**I still like the other version better.** Inner Sakura commented lightly, but her outer self chose to ignore her.

Kakashi blinked. "Oh, well, that's very nice of you. But make it quick, please. Jiraiya is waiting for Naruto, and Sasuke and I must be headed out soon as well." Sakura nodded, and without warning, headed over to Sasuke, throwing her arms around him and enveloping him in a crushing hug.

"Please, be safe and don't get yourself killed out there, Sasuke-kun." She whispered against his ear.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, and Sakura pulled away before walking over to Naruto and hugging him tightly as well.

"Train hard, okay Naruto?" He hugged her back, crushing her lithe form against him.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, when I come back I'll be better than ever, if that's possible." Sakura chuckled at his attempt at humor. "And then I'll treat you and the teme to Ichiraku." The girl in his arms nodded and leaned back.

"I'm holding you to that, Naruto." She told him, and the golden-haired boy grinned at her.

"I never break a promise!" He gave her a thumbs-up, the grin still on his face. Sakura smiled gently.

"Good." She murmured, and went over to her teacher before hugging him too. He blinked, slightly confused, but placed a hand on her head. "Kakashi-sensei, bring my boys home safe, okay?" Kakashi's eye softened.

"Technically, I won't be in charge of Naruto, but I'm sure he'll return back to Konoha in one piece, Sakura." She nodded and slowly pulled away. "Alright, Naruto, Jiraiya is waiting for us up ahead, so you'll just walk with Sasuke and I until we meet up with him, alright?" Naruto nodded, and the three of them began walking. Sakura watched them, feeling something tug at her heart. They stopped until they were almost out of her vision, but then, Naruto turned around and frantically waved goodbye to her. Smiling, Sakura returned the gesture, and then continued staring at them until they faded into black dots, and then into nothing.

Sakura sighed, turning around and heading back home. Not for the first time, the realization that they were gone hurt. It felt as if they were spreading their wings and flying, while she would forever be rooted to the ground, always weighed down by something.

Suddenly, Sakura changed her mind and started on her way to the Hokage tower. Where was the new one, Tsunade? The pink-haired female smiled slightly to herself. It was time to do a little flying of her own.

**A/N- Hah! See, I didn't say Sasuke wouldn't leave! Plus, I gave you sme backround info on Sakura. It appears her homelife isn't exactly perfect either... And kudos to Inulover4eva (who is practically my sister. No lie, this girl understands me almost as well as my best friend) because she guessed that I was going to make Sasuke leave. Oh, and a couple more shoutouts I'd like to give to are to Runwithskizzers and Pale Moonlit Nightsky, because those are the ones that give me the biggest reviews and make me happy. (hint hint, I like LONG reviews that tell me how much you love my story ) There are also a couple of other people who I'd like to thank, but I'll save them for when I'm feeling just a tad bit better.**

**So, anyway, this week has officially been a major suck factor for me. Saturday, I had a really bad toothache. Took some Advil, went to bed, thinking you know, whatever. It was still there a couple of days later, and had escalated to the point where I somehow wound up on my bed, curled into this little ball and whimpering and crying because of the pain. Uhm, I don't do EITHER of those. But still, I was in a lot of pain. THEN, on either Tuesday or Wednesday (can't remember) my cheek swelled, like, majorly huge. And I was like, alright, no more pain in the tooth! Haha, no Melissa, apparently, you can't catch a freaking break! Thus I wound up with more under-the-blanket-fetal-position crying sessions. So finally my dad took me to the dentist, who gave me a shot (which hurt like HELL, dammit!) and put me to sleep and removed my tooth. He also gave me some painkillers and antibiotics, and I'm now proud to say I look neither like I've been punched, or a chipmunk, or like I shoved food in the right side of my mouth. All of which has been said about my cheek. And then, as if THAT wasn't bad enough, I got my, you know, "friend". And I can't eat chocolate. Or anything solid, for that matter. Anything hard or crunchy is off limits to Melissa, which means I'm stuck eating pancakes and french toast and applesauce for the next week. So yeah, it's been really, REALLY hellish for me, and this vacation has just been THE worst. So wanna review and make me feel better, because right now I am like, supremo depresso. **


	10. The Reformation

Chapter 10: The Reformation

A sweaty, tired Uchiha Sasuke walked through the gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konoha. The sixteen-year old glanced around him, eyes unconsciously looking for a golden-haired boy and a roseate-haired female. "I'm sure that Naruto is at Ichiraku, and Sakura is probably at the Hospital, in case you were looking for them." An amused voice said behind him, and Sasuke scowled.

"Hn. I wasn't." He haughtily informed the older man, and Kakashi laughed as Sasuke stuck his hands in his pockets- the raven-haired teens defense mechanism, and they both knew it.

"Well, they would be there, Mr. Emotionless." Sasuke glared at his mentor.

"I _wasn't_ looking for them." He said coolly. The charcoal-eyed male didn't offer another word as he headed back to his apartment, and without even realizing it, he passed Ichiraku and looked for Naruto. A defined eyebrow rose in surprise; the blond was nowhere to be found. Sasuke searched the skies-nope, there wasn't an apocalypse going on. Grunting to himself, he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and continued on his way to his apartment. The dark-haired man realized how very familiar this seemed; he remembered coming back to Konoha (in a not-so-similar state as the one that just happened) and not having anyone at his side. Also, Sakura had also been at the Hospital, because his ass got dragged there and he remembered spotting her, but she hadn't seen him. He wasn't sure he wanted to decipher the way his stomach jerked when he had seen her after so long, and after the whole betrayal thing, he was willing to bet that she didn't want to see him. Which she hadn't, and he didn't want to think again on how he felt when she told him so right to his face.

Digging through his knapsack, he managed to find the keys to his tiny apartment. Sighing to himself, he stuck the key in the lock and turned it to the left; when he opened the door, what greeted (or rather didn't) shocked him. There was no dust. Nothing, zip, zilch, nada. His eyebrow rose in surprise, and he spotted something on the table.

_Dear Sasuke-kun,_

_If you're reading this, it means that you've returned. Yeah,_

_I know, way to point out the obvious, Sakura, you annoying girl._

_but still, I know that when you come back (whenever that may be)_

_you wouldn't want your apartment to look messy. Or maybe you _

_just don't care enough to clean it. Either way, I come in once every_

_two weeks and clean it for you. I removed all of the food in your fridge._

_Sorry, looks like you'll just have to go out and buy more. Anyway, when_

_you read this, come get me at the Hospital or something, and let me know_

_you're back so that I don't have to come and let myself into your apartment._

_Now, you're probably wondering how in the world I got a spare key. Well, too_

_bad. You'll never know. So anyway, take a shower or something and stop by the _

_Hospital. See you whenever!_

_Love from,_

_Sakura_

Sasuke smirked and shook his head, throwing the note out into the trash bin and ignoring the way his heart squeezed because of those last three lines. He headed into the bathroom and removed his clothes, stepping into the shower and turning on the hot water. God, he missed this. It was hell, pure hell to have to bathe in hot springs. After all, those fan girls were rather devious, sneaky demons.

Shuddering at the memories, Sasuke quickly washed his hair and toned body and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his built torso and walking into his room. He surveyed the clean room to himself before opening his drawers. He picked up a small shirt and almost cursed. Well, Sakura could clean his apartment, but she wouldn't buy him clothes, and he knew this. After all, she didn't know when to expect him home, but still, he dreaded the thought of having to wear some of the clothes in his bag. Sure, they had been washed before Kakashi and he left for home, but the rabid fangirls had attacked and pounced on him, and with his luck, there was perfume in their, thus causing his clothes to smell vaguely of some fruity, tropical scent. He didn't even want to _think _what that would do to his reputation in Konoha.

Although, he mused, it would be a lot better than when it had been when he returned after his little stunt with Orochimaru. EVERYBODY had hated him, including some of his fangirls. Now, the only thing he had to worry about were gays hitting on him. Ugh, the horror.

Groaning to himself, Sasuke grabbed his blue bag and grabbed out a dark gray t-shirt and a pair of black pants and then towel-dried his hair, which when dry, resumed the same position it had when he was twelve. He threw on his shoes and snatched his keys before walking towards the Hospital. He hoped Kakashi had stopped in to inform Tsunade-sama that they had returned, or there would be hell to pay. He paused at the thought, and then changed his intent. First, he would go to the Hokage Tower and see if Kakashi had stopped by. Then he would stop by the Hospital and visit Sakura.

Nodding, Sasuke walked through the doors, went up the stairs, then knocked loudly on a large door. "Come in!" Yelled a tired voice, and Sasuke did as told. He waited patiently as Tsunade finished signing some important looking paper, and then she glanced up. "Ah, Sasuke, I take it that you're back?" Sasuke nodded, and Tsunade's amber eyes narrowed in anger. She began to mutter various ways that she was going to kill Kakashi, and Sasuke smirked just as the door opened.

"Tsunade-sama, you wanted to see me?" Sasuke stiffened; he knew that voice. But how could she be here… he turned, and there was Sakura, long pink hair in a messy bun and several books in her arms. She had on a medic coat and there was a tiny smile, one that widened when she caught sight of him. "Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that it wasn't the Sakura of his past, she hadn't miraculously become brought back from the dead and transported to this past.

"Sakura." Sasuke said, smirking. She smiled brilliantly at him, and he felt his insides twist at how familiar it was. Before she had died, Sakura had smiled at him in such a manner, and he felt a stab in his gut.

"Yes, Sakura, I called for you." Tsunade looked at her apprentice. "I'm incredibly impressed with how you've been handling yourself, so I'm giving you the week off. Besides," she winked, "I'm sure that you'll need it, what with Sasuke back." Sakura smiled and blushed darkly.

"Naruto will be so jealous that he missed Sasuke-kun coming home." She murmured.

"Where's the dobe?" Sasuke asked, allowing a tiny hint of curiosity to lace his voice. Sakura smiled.

"He's on a mission, of course. He made Jounin level." The pink-haired female said this almost proudly.

"What, when?" This time, there was some anger. How the hell had Naruto managed to make it to Jounin level?! When had this happened?

"Uhm, how bout we discuss it over dinner?" Sakura shifted the books in her arms almost uncomfortably, and Sasuke nodded, heading over and taking the books from her. Sakura began to protest, but with one look from Sasuke she shut up.

Turning to Tsunade, he inclined his head. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama." Sakura echoed his words, but she bowed before heading out the door. Sasuke followed her, and they headed into her office. He smirked, realizing that it was the same one from his future. Of course, there was more to it now. It was painted a bright, cheery yellow, and there were various pictures on the wall, including the one of Team 7 so long ago.

As Sakura removed her medic coat, Sasuke realized one of two things. One is that she had some very, _very _nice legs. The second is that she had curves that hadn't been there when he had left for training. "Are you ready, Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke tore his eyes away from her ass and looked at her face, blushing. Sakura, thankfully, wasn't looking at him. She was neatening up her desk, putting folders away and scooping up papers. The last Uchiha couldn't believe his luck that she hadn't caught him ogling. No, that wasn't the word for it. Uchiha's don't ogle, they…observe. Yes, he was observing her newly formed body shape.

"Hn." Sasuke murmured, more to himself as she straightened and he caught a flash of cleavage. Sakura flashed a smile at him, eyes twinkling innocently.

"Okay, well, we could go to Ichiraku if you want." Immediately, Sasuke shook his head at her, and Sakura blinked. "…Or not."

Sasuke glanced at her and began to walk away, knowing that she would follow, just as she always had.

"Sasuke-kun, where are we going?" She inquired curiously, to which he just shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Hn. You'll see." He offered no more, and Sakura's lips twisted in a pout before she accepted this. "What happened while I was gone?" Surprised that he had taken the initiative to talk- but certainly not going to look a gifted horse in the mouth- Sakura began to talk, babbling about what had transpired these past three years. He smirked inwardly when she began talking about her times as a medic; that was twice he had helped her to become a medic-nin. The emerald-eyed female was so caught up in her stories that she hadn't realized that they had reached the restaurant until Sasuke was holding the door for her. She gaped, not only at how nice he was acting (he was even surprising himself) but at how huge and expensive the restaurant looked.

"Oh my God, Sasuke-kun, are you serious? There's no WAY I can afford this."

"You don't have to." He murmured. A waiter approached and ushered them to a table and took their drink orders, then walked away. Sakura sat there, still slightly gaping in disbelief at him. He shifted uncomfortably, and she seemed to realize what she was doing. Sakura quickly snapped her mouth closed and her eyes wandered around the expansive restaurant.

"Thank you for, uhm, taking me here." She said shyly, biting her lip and glancing up at him with a smile. Sasuke looked away from her probing green eyes.

"It was nothing." He told her, and Sakura's smile widened before her eyes scanned the menu.

"I'm not sure what to get…" She admitted, and Sasuke smirked.

"They've got some excellent steak here." He told her, and the pink-haired female glanced up, then nodded.

"Okay then, I'll get the steak." She said cheerfully, closing the menu. "Anyway, where were we?"

"You were going to tell me how Naruto became a Jounin." Sakura nodded, and leaned across the table. However, the waiter came back and interrupted whatever she was about to say. He placed down their drinks and turned to them.

"I'm terribly sorry to intrude, but have you decided what to eat?"

"I'll have the steak, and she'll have the same."

"Yes, sir. How would you like that done?"

"Medium well done." The waiter nodded.

"Very good, sir. I'll be back soon." He left just as abruptly as he had come, and Sasuke turned to Sakura, his eyes expectant. She laughed and began to talk in soft tones about what had transpired between herself and the blond haired boy. He had returned a year before Sasuke himself did, and thus he and Sakura had become close. Naruto had helped Sakura train while she had helped him become stronger and gave him help with his jutsu's. He had only become a Jounin two weeks ago, and from Sakura had overheard her mentor saying, Sasuke was well on his way to becoming one as well.

"But the test is hard, really hard, Sasuke-kun." Sakura warned, causing the man across from her to smirk. She rolled her eyes and leaned back; his eyes had said everything. _Duh, you stupid girl, I'm **Uchiha Sasuke**. There is NOTHING that's impossible when it comes to me._

"I'm not saying it'll be easy, Sakura." Sasuke explained patiently. "And I believed I've trained enough to warrant Jounin status." Sakura nodded.

"I know you have, but that's only physical training, right? What about mental?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, and Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, feeling incredibly stupid.

Sasuke remembered taking the Jounin test, and he remembered exactly how trying it had been. The first test was physical, the second was mental, and the third, which was the hardest, was emotional. The third test he had to watch Sakura and Naruto being tortured and killed, right before his very eyes. Realizing what it was, Sasuke quickly cancelled the jutsu and the examiner stepped out from some door he hadn't even realized was there and announced that he had passed.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke's eyes snapped to Sakura's face, and the unbidden image of her lying there, so peaceful in a casket bathed in white silk flashed through his mind. He grunted and ripped his eyes away. "The food's here." She touched his hand gently and he jerked it away from her, inwardly cursing. God, he hadn't thought of that in so long! He looked down at his steak and snuck a glance at her. Her eyes were lowered to her plate in sadness, and Sasuke felt the sticky and painful tentacles of guilt wrap themselves around his insides.

_"You **always **find a way to hurt Sakura-chan! No matter what, no matter how nice she was to you, you were always a bastard to her!" Naruto's chest heaved slightly in anger. He murmured softly, "You always hurt Sakura-chan, and I guess after a while, she just got tired of it."_

"Sakura," Sasuke murmured, and the girl looked up. He exhaled sharply, and knew what his next words would cost him. "…I'm sorry." He was sorry for everything. For always hurting her, for never being the person in the beginning that she wanted to be and not enough in the end. For being so selfish and pushing her away, only realizing how much he needed her when she was gone for good. He was sorry for everything he had ever put her through, every tear she had ever shed because of him, every smile she had faked in front of him, every time she defended him when he didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve her, and he knew it.

That soft hand was back on his, and he looked up, startled. She had a tiny smile on her face and there were tears sparkling at the corner of her eyes. He inwardly squirmed, realizing that he had found another way to make Sakura cry. "I forgive you, Sasuke-kun." She whispered, and her smile brightened, causing the left side of his chest to clench. "Now, lets eat before this delicious looking food gets cold!" She stated happily, breaking her chopsticks and giving thanks before snatching up a piece of the torn meat and placing it in her mouth, chewing slowly. Sasuke watched her, waiting. Finally, she smiled. "Oh man, this is so good!" She grabbed another slice and stuck it into her mouth. The dark-haired shinobi smirked, eating his own dinner.

They were finally done, and Sakura leaned back, satisfied. "You were right when you said that this place had awesome steaks, it was really good!" Sasuke nodded.

"You want any dessert?" Sakura shook her head; although a part of her was convinced that this was a dream, that Sasuke really was being (somewhat) nice to her, and while it would be wise to take advantage of it while she could if it wasn't a dream, she was far too full.

"Nah." Sasuke nodded.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Sakura nodded absentmindedly as Sasuke slid out of his seat and wandered off to God-knows-where. Sakura was busy getting money out of her purse when he returned. "Ready to go?" The emerald-eyed female looked up.

"What? Don't we still have to wait for the bill?" Sasuke shrugged.

"I already paid it."

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shrieked softly, glaring at him. "I had money of my own, you know!" The male shrugged again, and repeated his question from before. Sakura huffed angrily (although secretly happy) and stood up, brushing off anything that may have gotten onto her dress. Unbeknownst to her, Sasuke was watching her every move, watching as the fabric dipped down just a tad bit…

Woah, she had some major cleavage going on.

**Bad thoughts! **Sasuke hissed to himself, turning around before he got the urge to kiss Sakura right then and there in the restaurant. In the future he had felt like it, of course he had. He may have been cold and aloof, but he still had hormones. And that one night, where she had slept in _his_ bed, with _his _clothes on…

Who never said cold showers didn't work?

"Okay, I'm ready!" Sakura announced cheerfully, and Sasuke nodded. He assumed that he was walking her home, since they were headed in that direction. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"How come you seem so calm about the Jounin exams?" Sasuke almost froze, but he kept up his cool façade.

"Because I know that I can take whatever they throw at me." He replied, and Sakura frowned but nodded.

"How come you're not a Jounin?" The female glanced at him, surprised that he was initiating questions.

Four or five years ago, her opinion and most of her answers never would have mattered to him; then again, who could blame him? It disgusted Sakura when she thought about how she had practically worshipped the very ground Sasuke walked on. She frowned slightly. He had been slightly kinder to her when they were twelve, which was surprising. The day before he had told her he hated her, and she had just brushed it off. He had told her he hated her constantly, but she never let it faze her because she was convinced that, come with time, he would love her. God, she had been so naïve. But how come had had been so nice to her? Had he felt bad? No, she dismissed that immediately; Uchiha Sasuke had probably never felt bad a day in his life. Especially not when it concerned her, the weakest member of their team. So then, how come his demeanor had changed after just one day?

"Sakura?" The roseate-haired female glanced up, then laughed nervously.

"Oh, sorry Sasuke-kun, I was just lost in my thoughts. Anyway, I didn't want to become a Jounin." She wrinkled her nose. "I mean, sure the extra pay would be awesome, but being a medic-nin is something I've always wanted to do…" Sakura glanced down, blushing. "And, uhm, after you gave me that book and left to train with Kakashi-sensei, it just strengthened my resolve." Sasuke nodded, although he had been expecting this.

"I see." He muttered shortly, and Sakura smiled softly.

"Yeah… anyway, we're here." Sasuke glanced up and nodded. "I'll see you around, right?"

"Hn." Sakura smiled at him in farewell and began to trek up her sidewalk. When she got to the door, she paused, hand ghosting over the doorknob.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"Can you, uhm… can we train tomorrow? Just you and I?" She saw his shoulders tense. "I mean, not like a date or anything!" She added quickly. "Just, you know, so that I can get stronger."

Sasuke hesitated, considering it. "Fine. Meet me at the forest at 10 am." He muttered. "Don't be late." Sakura threw him a brilliant smile.

"Of course!" She chirped happily. "See you tomorrow!" She gave him a tiny wave and opened the door, then closed it behind her with a soft _click_.

Sasuke stared at the closed door for a couple of minutes later before he realized exactly WHAT he was doing and shook his raven hair, sticking his hands in his pockets and heading back to his apartment. He found it weird that she hadn't mentioned the note that she had left; he figured that she realized that he had seen it by now, and she didn't have to come to his house anymore. Of course, not that he'd mind if Sakura cleaned his house while he was there… particularly if she was wearing that Uchiha shirt again…

_Where the **HELL** are these thoughts coming from?!_ Sasuke thought, bewildered. He shook his head once more and continued back to his house. His mind was jumbled, but one thought stuck out amongst the rest. In his future, Sakura had been a Jounin medic. In this lifetime, she was just a medic-nin, just plain Haruno Sakura, the sweetheart of Konoha that had some amazing strength. Things were already changing.

* * *

**A/N- Uhm, for the record, this entire chapter is completely and totally dedicated to Pale Moonlit Nightsky. Her reviews are always long and always make me happy, but her review for my last chapter… well, it definitely took my breath away and I almost cried I was so happy. So yeah, basically, she pwns you all. Her review took up most of my page! And thank you thank you thank you so much, darling! (Huggles you and hands you my Kakashi keychain. Yes, I really do have one). This chapter is dedicated to you, love. Hope you liked it!**

**Uh-oh, Sakura's getting suspicious. Will she find out about the _real_ reason Sasuke was so nice to her, or why he changed? Also, Sakura's not a Jounin, but will that change? Hmm, we'll find out soon enough, now won't we? And yes, I made Sasuke have hormones XD. Shoot me if you don't like it, but I can't help it. I love it when he shows some emotion! So anyway, I made him come back. Hope you guys didn't think that this would be another Orochimaru thing… speaking of which, will Sasuke go to him? Only time will tell…**

**Oh, and many, MANY thanks to everyone who wished for me to get better! (hands you all a sugar cookie). I really do feel a lot better, but I have to go back to the dentist tomorrow to get the stitches taken out. Oh, fun fun fun. Now, review! Mr. Review Button is getting rather lonely… make him happy. **


	11. Silly little boys

Chapter 11: Silly little boys

Months passed by quickly, and before any of the residents knew it, it was a hot, sticky July day; the kind of day where you really didn't want to move, you just wanted to lay on your couch, with no lights on, and bask in the simple and slight coolness that your house reserved.

However, life goes on, despite the fact that it felt as if it was 100 degrees outside. People still had to work, despite the fact that everyone would much rather laze about their house instead of actually having to leave it and do something productive. Of course, the fact that they'll be getting paid doesn't hurt matters, either.

Of course, as Fate would have it, our favorite three shinobis were outside in such an extreme temperature. Sakura sighed heavily, staring up at the expansive blue sky. She and Naruto were lying under the shade of a tree because of the scorching heat. Naruto had thrown off his Jounin vest and rolled up his pants, arms behind his head and his breath was coming out slowly, showing he had dozed off. Sakura tilted her head back even more, ignoring the crick in her neck, and glanced at their other teammate, who was sitting on the ground with his back leaning against a tree. Unlike their blond friend, he was still wearing his Jounin vest and his black pants were normal. His eyes were closed, and his entire demeanor just screamed apathetic.

Suddenly, a sharp pain in her stomach caused Sakura to wince, and she righted her head, curling up slightly into a fetal position. Sasuke cracked an eye open, although Sakura was unaware of this. He took a look at her scrunched up face and felt a tinge of worry. Had she perhaps pulled a muscle? "Sakura…?" She shook her head slightly, and breathed deeply. He watched her, surprised at how anxious he was to hear her answer him. Finally, she laid straight, her breath still coming out slowly as if to ease whatever pain she had. Sasuke was still staring at her, feeling impatient.

"It's nothing, Sasuke-kun." Sakura mumbled, and obsidian eyes narrowed considerably, but he didn't push her any further. Instead, he contemplated, something he was very good at doing. Okay, so she had curled up into a little ball, and her hands had been gripping her stomach. Hmm… perhaps she was hungry, and was getting hunger pains? It was entirely possible.

"Sakura, did you eat?" She gave him a confused look.

"Uhm, yeah. I had eggs and bacon before I came here."

Okay, well, that theory was officially thrown out the window.

Sasuke propped up his legs and locked his fingers, deep in thought. Well, it was obvious that her stomach hurt… but why? There were cramps, but from what?

Mystification was a feeling that Sasuke found himself absolutely hating.

"Yo." Sakura glared at their silver-haired sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei, do you realize how hot it is?! God, couldn't you be early for once?!" Her irritated outburst made Naruto twitch.

"Is the pervert here yet?" He mumbled, and Kakashi walked over, kicking the blonde's leg none-too-gently.

"Yes, I'm here Naruto, and since the three of you seem fit to be lazy today, why don't you run five laps?" Sakura's glare intensified.

Kakashi found himself horrified by the fact he was afraid of a mere sixteen year-old girl.

"Kakashi-sensei," she began, smiling sweetly at the man. Kakashi backed up nervously. i8Sakura could be scary when provoked, and it appeared he did the right thing, because she started screaming at him, throwing in a couple of obscenities in there for good measure. However, her furious tirade was cut short when Sasuke slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Sakura, you idiot, do you want us to have to run a hundred laps or something?" Sasuke hissed. Sakura didn't reply; she was wincing and her hands clutched at her stomach once more. Kakashi's eye softened at the tiny flash of distress that crossed Sakura's face before it passed.

"Perhaps Sakura is right, it's far too hot to be running laps." He muttered. "Besides, I don't want Tsunade to be screaming at me when she sees her apprentice in the hospital for heat exhaustion." Sakura scowled slightly at the last line, but she didn't object. "Anyway it'll be Sasuke and Sakura fighting each other today, and I will help Naruto with his jutsu's." Sakura and Sasuke nodded, understanding. The two of them headed out into the meadow, while Kakashi and Naruto stayed at the bridge.

"Ready Sakura?" Sasuke inquired, and the only answer her got was a mute nod from the pink-haired female. He smirked, and they started. Both of them were careful; after all, they had sparred before, and each knew one another's weakness. Sasuke quickly whipped a kunai at her, which Sakura deftly avoided and disappeared. Sasuke cursed quietly and turned on his Sharingan, waiting for her next move. A sudden movement caught his eye, and he did a summersault, narrowly avoiding an exploding tag. He smirked. "Give it up, Sakura, you know that you could never beat me." A flash of pink invaded his vision, and Sasuke barely had time to blink before he realized that he was knocked to the ground. By Sakura. Said girl was currently straddling his hips. Sakura let out a feral growl, and the raven-haired male became hyper aware of all of his senses. He's, uhm, just a tad bit distracted by her chest heaving with fury, and the white teeth that are biting her lip in anger. Then, he realized something, and his eyes widen. Sakura had just beaten him in a match.

"You were saying, you sadistic pig?" Sakura hissed out, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her.

"You got lucky." He muttered, and the female snorted.

"Oh please, Sasuke-kun. You just don't want to admit that I just totally kicked your ass." He rolled his eyes and flipped her over. He made sure his knee was holding down her skirt, but now, he was the one holding down her wrists. Smirking, he leaned down towards her ear, a tad bit too aware of the feel of her chest against his own.

"Next time, cherry blossom, you won't be so lucky." He pulled away and gazed into her emerald eyes. There was a distinctive fire in them, but there was also some confusion, and a type of begging that he knew he would never be able to do. He knew what she wanted: she wanted him to kiss her. He pulled away and let her go, standing up and brushing off whatever dust had collected on his clothes before striding off. Sakura blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. Then, she sighed, and ran an agitated hand through her hair. Life with Uchiha Sasuke sure could be confusing.

* * *

Sasuke walked through Konoha, heading towards the training grounds. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a shock of petal-colored hair, and he turned fully to face Sakura. She hadn't noticed him yet, but he watched as she heaved a couple of shopping bags, irritatingly blowing a strand of hair away from her face. Sasuke smirked when he remembered himself placing that same lock of hair behind her ear. The sixteen year-old female put her bags down and grabbed her long hair, throwing it up into a ponytail and wrapping a scrunchie around it. 

Thinking quickly, Sasuke strode over and picked up the heavy bags. Sakura turned to him, about to protest when she noticed who it was. Instead she narrowed her eyes at him, but the blush that was slowly creeping on her face let him know that she hadn't forgotten what had transpired the week before.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun." She said slowly, being extra careful not to go over there and stomp his face in. He smirked at her.

"Sakura." He acknowledged simply, and emerald eyes narrowed, although their owner said nothing about his tone of voice.

"I can carry my own bags, you know." She told him, frustration creeping into her voice. Sasuke merely shrugged; beneath his black shirt, Sakura watched his muscles ripple as he did so, and then mentally berated herself. She was supposed to be mad at him! Then again, that wasn't hard, considering her mood right now.

Sasuke started on his way to her house, and Sakura followed, musing how familiar this was. He was leading and she was following… her apple green eyes narrowed. Well, that most _certainly _wasn't going to be happening again.

"Sakura…" Sasuke began, as they were about halfway to her house and the roads were deserted, "why do you have so much chocolate in here?" Sakura didn't answer him right away. Annoyed, Sasuke asked again, but Sakura didn't reply.

"SAKURA!"

"IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE MY PERIOD, OKAY SASUKE?! GODDAMMIT!" Sakura screamed, and Sasuke almost choked.

Oh God… Alone with a PMS-ing Sakura… His hand drifted down to his thigh, just to make sure he had his shuriken and kunais… damn, why hadn't he brought his tranquilizer gun? His sharp eyes looked around, making sure he had somewhere to hide if need be.

Sakura continued to walk, huffing angrily. He watched, noticing the slight limp. Suddenly, something clicked. That must have been why she had been holding her stomach. How long did these things last? He didn't really know, only having heard his female cousin, Masako, **(A/N- It means proper child. Fitting since she's in the prestigious Uchiha Clan, no?) **grumbling about it to one of his other female cousins, Nariko. **(A/N- Nariko means thunder. I have a fetish for rain and thunderstorms, so it doesn't have to do with his past. Or you could pretend that she has gray eyes like Sasuke, and thunder clouds are gray.)**

"Are you coming or not?!" Sakura yelled angrily, and Sasuke muttered a couple of well-chosen curses before striding ahead and catching up with the pink-haired female. She kept her head bowed, never looking at him until they reached her doorstep and he silently handed her the grocery bags. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you, Sasuke-kun." She murmured softly.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He felt rather awkward, and apparently, so did Sakura.

"Anyway, come to my apartment next Saturday, okay?" Sakura said, smiling slightly. Sasuke gave her a curious look.

"Why?" Sakura gave a tinkling laugh, and Sasuke blinked. Hard. _Women. One minute they're pissed, the next minute happy. _He frowned, thinking of Naruto's mood swings. _Perhaps there's something the dobe isn't telling me… after all, maybe that Sexy No Jutsu is really what he's like, and he's just pretending to be a boy._

"It's your birthday, silly!" She admonished, and then frowned. "Don't tell me you forgot!"

Sasuke merely shrugged at Sakura. "My birthday isn't all that important."

"Not that important? You must be joking." Sasuke gave her a withering look, and the emerald-eyed female remembered _exactly _who she was talking to. Uchiha Sasuke, the one that wouldn't know humor if it bit him straight in the ass.

"No, Sakura, my birthday isn't important."

In what had felt like another lifetime, belonging to someone else besides himself, Sasuke remembered celebrating his seventeenth birthday by training in the courtyard with Orochimaru. They had been training rather vigorously, and Sasuke remembered thinking that he didn't like having the snake-sannin's hands "accidentally" touch his butt. Groping was actually more like it.

Sasuke repressed a shudder at the memory of the look Orochimaru had been giving him when he asked what he would be doing for his birthday, and if he would be alone, because if he was, then wouldn't he prefer some _company_?

Sakura looked rather put out at the Uchiha's lack of enthusiasm for July 23rd. "Come on, Sasuke-kun, it'll be fun." She pouted, and Sasuke's eyes unwillingly lowered to her plump lips. A little voice in the back of his head murmured a whole slew of things he could do to said lips, and he could DEFINITELY make them pout.

Sasuke scowled. Damn it, he KNEW spending so long with Kakashi would corrupt him!

"Alright." The raven-haired male conceded, sighing. Sakura blinked, then squealed in happiness.

"Really, Sasuke-kun? You don't mind?" She asked, her eyes alit, and the corners of Sasuke's mouth twitched upward.

"Hn." He said. Grinning, Sakura flung herself at him. Thanks to his quick reflexes, Sasuke caught her as she hugged him tightly; the teen caught a whiff of her scent, and raised an eyebrow. Why did she smell like flour? Suddenly, he realized why, and couldn't help but roll his eyes, although his lips lifted upwards even more. She had been baking him a cake. And Haruno Sakura, totally unaware, missed it as Uchiha Sasuke broke out into a small smile because of her.

---

"Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura greeted, a bright smile adorning her face, illuminating her eyes, making them shine with happiness. Sasuke shook his head as she stepped back, allowing him to enter the tiny apartment.

"Hey there, teme, happy birthday man!" Naruto said, coming out of the kitchen and slapping Sasuke on the back. "You hungry? Sakura-chan cooked. She even made some things with tomatoes in them, knowing how much you love them." Sasuke scowled at the blond, but wandered into the place Naruto had just exited, and sure enough, there were tomatoes on the counter, all sliced up and freshly washed. Sakura drifted in, wringing her hands slightly.

"You don't have to eat them if you don't want to, Sasuke-kun." She told him, and he glared at her slightly out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm not obliged to do anything, Sakura." He said matter-of-factly, popping a tomato slice into his mouth. Sakura broke out into a smile; that was as close to a compliment that she would probably ever receive from the Sharingan user.

"Okay, well, if you say so. Kakashi-sensei was supposed to have shown up around noon to help us decorate," she snorted, "but we all know how he's famously late. I guess I shouldn't have expected him to be on time. He's never on time for anything."

_Oh, how very wrong you are, Sakura…_ Sasuke thought to himself, then mentally shook his head. That would never happen again on his watch. Ever. Sasuke was going to make sure that he never had to see Sakura's lifeless body until they were like, eighty.

An unbidden image of a sobbing Naruto appeared in his mind. It had been after they had found out that Sakura had died… the kyuubi vessel had slowly sunk against the wall, wrapping his arms around his upraised knees and crying into them, wailing that Sakura-chan had never deserved such a fate. Bad things aren't supposed to happen to good people.

"Sasuke-kun?" Green eyes stared into his own, and the worry in hers was tangible. "Are you okay?" She smiled slightly, a hand coming up and brushing his forehead lightly. "You kind of spaced out on me there. Could be this heat, too."

"Sure." Sasuke murmured, unwilling to discuss what his mind had wandered to.

"Hmmm… I'll have Naruto turn up the air conditioner or something." Sakura hummed, frowning slightly. She removed her hand and left the kitchen, probably going to go find Naruto. Sasuke sighed and leaned the back of head against the cabinets, closing his eyes. It seemed as if Sakura had gotten over her odd mood, which could mean she was over her, ahem.

A cool hand slid onto his forehead once more, and Sasuke's eyes snapped open, finding Sakura standing there again, a gentle smile on her face. "Hey." She whispered. "C'mon, it's time to go open our presents. Ino and Shikamaru are here, and I'm sure Ino has a present for you." The pink-haired female moved back and headed into the living room. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Sasuke followed.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun! Happy birthday!" Ino said, grinning.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, but he took his hand out of his pocket and accepted the present that the female blond had given him.

"Anyway, Shika-kun and I just stopped by to say happy birthday to Sasuke-kun. We'll see you guys later!" Ino said cheerfully, waving goodbye to all of them and grabbed Shikamaru's hand, dragging him away and obviously ignoring him muttering his favorite catchphrase. Sakura giggled, putting a hand to her mouth. Sasuke shook his head and opened the dark-blue wrapping paper; inside was a picture of him, Sakura, and Naruto. Naruto had obviously said something funny to Sakura, because he was grinning, his eyes shining because of the sun. Sakura was laughing, eyes closed and her mouth open, head tilted back as she laughed at whatever the kyuubi vessel had said. Sasuke was beside Sakura, a smirk that was a borderline smile on his face.

Sasuke smirked and looked at the picture frame, which was silver and had the words Best Friends carved at the top. Sakura walked over and placed her chin on his shoulder, glancing at the frame. "It's true, you know." She murmured, her hot breath ghosting the shell of his ear. Sasuke bit down the shudder that threatened to run down his spine.

"Hn." He said lowly. Luckily, a knock on the door erupted Sasuke's thoughts, which was practically just screaming to give Sakura what she had wanted those two weeks ago. Sakura hurried over to open the door.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're late!" She reprimanded, waggling a finger at the silver-haired Jounin for good measure. Kakashi grinned sheepishly (or so it looked like) and hastily apologized to his female student; after all, her anger was legendary, and evoking it would be like cheerfully signing your death warrant.

"Happy Birthday, Sasuke." Kakashi greeted, stepping into the threshold.

"I'm gonna go find Naruto. I think he might have gotten lost on his way to grab the candles." Sakura announced cheerfully, then frowned. "I swear to Kami that if that boy stopped in Ichiraku, I am SO kicking his ass. I'll be back!" And with that, she opened the door and closed it behind her.

Once she was gone, their sensei threw his present at his former pupil, and Sasuke warily opened it, then promptly threw it back at the man, cheeks blazing from embarrassment. "WHAT THE HELL?!" He yelled. Ugh, he could feel his eyeballs burning… Kakashi grinned evilly at him, his one eye crinkling in amusement.

"What, Sasuke, you don't think I don't see the looks you give Sakura?" Sasuke almost choked on his own mortification.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" He hissed. Kakashi merely smirked. Or at least, the Uchiha _thought _he did.

"Don't worry, Sasuke, nobody else noticed. But I see how protective you are of our little cherry blossom."

**_Our?!_**

"I'm only protective of her because she's weak." The teen grumbled.

"Now now, Sasuke," Kakashi tsked, "you know that's not true. Sakura is perfectly capable of holding her own. But what about the boys that ask her out?" Sasuke scowled.

"She's too naïve for her own good. Those boys would take advantage of her innocence." He replied, arms folded in an and-that's-that manner.

"Please, Sasuke. Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?" Sasuke's mouth opened to retort but was saved by the door opening and Naruto and Sakura stepping through the doorway. Sakura appeared to be yelling at Naruto, and the azure-eyed boy was cringing under Sakura's wrath.

"Sakura." Sasuke said sternly, and the female turned to him, eyes radiating her anger. If Sasuke hadn't been himself, he would've stepped back in alarm.

_"What?!" _Sakura hissed. Sasuke met her furious gaze coolly, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"That's enough. The dobe is who he is, and he's bound to be an idiot, despite the fact the he's a Jounin." The dark-haired boy studiously ignored Naruto's protesting in the background. Sakura sighed and her shoulders slumped, and she reluctantly nodded.

"You're right, Sasuke-kun." She admitted, and Sasuke smirked, biting back the urge to tell her that he was _always _right. "Anyway, now that we're all here, I'll get the cake." Sakura announced, and went inside of the kitchen. Sasuke then noticed the white bag in her hand, and raised an eyebrow. She came back about ten minutes later, a white cake in hand and placed it on the table. Smiling slightly, Sakura clicked a lighter and a tiny flame came out. The charcoal-eyed teen watched apprehensively as she lit the candles, and then she ordered Naruto to turn off the lights.

Once the lights were out, Team Seven began to sing Happy Birthday to him.

_"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Sasuke-"_

"Teme!"

"Naruto!" Sakura howled, punching him in the head, causing him to howl for a totally different reason. She huffed angrily, then turned to the amused raven-haired man, and sang out softly, _"Happy birthday to you."_

"Make a wish, teme!" Naruto said, and Sasuke's eyes looked to the candles, which burned brightly. And then, his eyes slowly drifted back towards Sakura.

She was beaming at him, her eyes shining brightly in the candlelight. Her hands were clasped in front of her and there was a tiny grin on her face. Their eyes locked, and Sasuke leaned forward, his eyes still on hers. He blew out his candles, and only two things went through his mind.

_Her happiness. _

**A/N- (dies from the fluff) Haha, I apologize for the late update! I have midterms next week, and as such, I have been drowning in review papers. Not only that, but I had a bitching writers block. Ugh! But at any rate, I tried to make this chapter funny…not sure if I failed or not. I wanted to make at least one more funny chapter before the angst returns, as it will in the next chapter. I was actually going to make this chapter a lot longer, but I just wanted to be done with it so that I can go finish my homework and study. If I do well on my midterms, my dad will take me to go see Nickelback in March! -grins- Oh, and if you didn't get those last two lines, what Sasuke wished for was Sakura's happiness. Kyaaa, so adorable! **

**Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to all of you, my amazing reviewers! I don't know what I would do without you guys. Oh, and since you all appear to love me so much, I made two one-shots while I had writers block with this chapter: one is a Team Seven drabble called Nightmares, and the other is a NaruHina one-shot called Candles. Want to review those? And speaking of reviews, whoever reviews this chapter will get ramen! **


	12. Goodbye

Chapter 12: Goodbye

Sasuke awoke abruptly. He groaned and glanced at his clock; 1:07 am. What the _hell_?! He laid there for a moment, trying to concentrate on why he had woken up so early. Then, he realized: someone was approaching his door. They were walking very fast, and had a distinctive chakra that the Jounin would never be able to forget.

He got up and headed to the door, ignoring the fact that he's just wearing a pair of black boxers. He wrenched open his front door, and there stood Sakura. Her head was bowed and she was trembling. He frowned, feeling his stomach twist slightly in worry. "Sakura…?" A sob erupted from his pink-haired teammate, and she flung herself at him, burying her head into his chest while her arms wrapped around his middle.

"S-Sasuke-kun." She choked, and Sasuke could feel his shirt getting wet. Frowning, he lifted her up slightly, closing the door with his foot.

"Sakura, what's the matter?" She shook her head and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, almost as if to protect herself.

"T-they're dead." Sasuke felt his insides freeze. They could mean a lot of people, different people, but his mind immediately zoomed to Naruto and Kakashi.

"Who, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, leading her into the kitchen where she promptly collapsed onto a chair, shaking.

"My parents." Sakura said quietly, and Sasuke exhaled a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding. He hadn't been here when Sakura's parents had died, and had never been able to comfort people, so he just stood there, fists clenched together. Damn, he didn't have any pockets! "Sasuke-kun…?" She looked up, eyes bright with tears that were still sliding down her cheeks. "Can I stay here tonight? I don't want to be alone." She noticed the look on his face and looked down once more. "Nevermind." She muttered, standing up. "I'll go stay with Naruto-"

"No." Sasuke interjected, startled at how that last line had made his blood boil. She looked up, confusion and shock playing across her face. "You're already here, and besides, that dobe is probably snoring away and won't hear you knock." Sasuke said coolly, the desperate need for pockets growing bigger than ever. Sakura sighed and nodded.

"Okay, well, if you insist…" Sakura said hesitantly. "I'll just go home and go grab some clothes and I'll come back." Sasuke didn't fail to miss the way her emerald eyes flashed with pain at the word home.

The Uchiha shrugged. "I've got clothes here." He told her, and Sakura blushed.

"I don't want to impose-"

"You already are." The male pointed out, and he expected Sakura to glare at him. Instead, she shrugged.

"I guess you're right." She said quietly, and Sasuke felt something twist in his gut. He hated it when people cried, even more so when it was Sakura, because her tears… they did something to him. Something he would never admit out loud.

"Follow me." Sasuke said, and headed upstairs towards his bedroom. Sakura did as told, but she was silent as she obliged her teammate. Sasuke could only guess that Sakura was too caught up in her thoughts, and he would not push her over the edge when the female teen was already on the way to a mental breakdown.

The two walked into Sasuke's bedroom, and he rifled through his drawers before finally grabbing a pair of boxers the same color of his own and a navy Uchiha shirt, both of which he handed to Sakura and pointed the way to his bathroom. Then, he seated himself on the edge of his bed and sighed. Sakura came out and he moved his head to look at her.

The breath caught in his throat, and his mind immediately flashed back to a time when it had been raining and Sakura had come to his house, dripping and furiously apologizing for the intrusion, but could she just stay there for a little while until it had stopped raining? Sasuke agreed, quite aware of the fact that it was supposed to downpour _all _night. Sakura didn't, though, and wound up sleeping in _his _clothes, in _his _bed… and in _his _arms. Not that she had ever known, because Sasuke had woken himself up before she had and moved out onto the couch.

_And that was where he intended to stay tonight _Sasuke told himself stubbornly as Sakura walked closer. "You take my bed, I'll go out onto the couch tonight." He said, getting up. And he really _was _intending to go out into the living room, but a hand stopped him. Sasuke turned his head, and Sakura had her own bowed.

"Please, Sasuke-kun." She whimpered. "I really DON'T want to be alone tonight." Sasuke tensed, and Sakura let go. "I'm sorry." She muttered. The dark-haired male didn't answer, but after a couple of minutes (and a rather heated argument with his inner self about things that would make _Kakashi _blush) Sasuke headed over to his side of the bed.

Sakura stared at him until, annoyed, Sasuke snapped, "Well, are you coming or not?" A hint of a blush spread on her face before Sakura scrambled over to her teammates bed and laid down, while Sasuke turned off the light. Eventually, Sakura's breathing evened, and so did Sasuke's; that was, until hours later, when a whimpering broke the Uchiha prodigy from his sleep. Sakura was tossing around, obviously in mental and emotional distress. She cried out softly, and Sasuke sighed, idly wondering how long these nightmares were going to last. He reached out and shook her shoulder softly, detachedly noticing that as he did so, the tear marks on her face shone because of the soft moonlight infiltrating his room.

And then, Sasuke froze, as Sakura realized that there was another warmth in the bed and immediately shifted towards it. She pillowed her head onto his shoulder and snuggled into his side, still whimpering. The Uchiha laid there, body feeling numb, as he breathed in the scent of cinnamon.

Slowly, Sasuke moved his arm, and it draped itself around her waist. The Sharingan user glared at it, almost as if his arm had a life of it's own and was betraying him. However, Sakura seemed to like this, and she inched closer to Sasuke. A sigh of happiness escaped her, and her pink lips twitched upward in a happy smile. Unaware, Sasuke thought of how many times he had made Sakura happy, and realized with a pang of guilt that he could count on one hand how many times he had made her _honestly_ happy.

Fie, Sasuke. Fie upon you.

It was then Sasuke realized that he _liked _making Sakura.

_Shit, he was in deeper than he thought. _

_----_

"Psst." Sasuke grumbled and turned over, unconsciously seeking for the warmth of Sakura. When he didn't find it, his eyes snapped open. "Pssst, Sasuke-kun?" He glanced over and noticed emerald eyes peering at him. She gave him a tiny smile, and it was a couple of moments before Sasuke realized that it was genuine; he then mentally smacked himself when he realized that he was actually _glad _to see it.

"What, Sakura?"

"I made breakfast." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "To thank you. You didn't have to let me in, or sleep in your bed." If he wasn't an Uchiha, the male would've flushed. He really hoped that they hadn't been in any compromising positions when Sakura had awoken, or God forbid, have her wake up with his arms wrapped around her. What ideas that would give her he didn't even want to know.

"Hn. Then go eat it." He muttered, closing his eyes.

"Sasuke-_kun_!" Sakura hissed, and Sasuke cracked open an eye. "I bought you some tomatoes…" The konoichi urged, and two onyx eyes opened fully. The girl smirked to herself; she thought that would do it.

"Fine." Sasuke got up and headed downstairs into the kitchen. "Coming?" He irritably snapped over his shoulder, and Sakura scrambled after him. The two sat down, and Sakura quickly began to eat after giving thanks, unaware that over his table, Sasuke was staring her. She seemed normal enough, but then again, Sakura had been in the game long enough to learn how to lie flawlessly. His eyes narrowed as he assessed her, watching as she ate, waiting for that perfect mask to break. However, either Sakura was an amazing liar, or she actually did feel better. It could be either of the two, and Sasuke felt frustrated.

"Anyway, Sasuke-kun, thanks again. Where do you want me to put your clothes?" Sakura asked, placing her plate in the sink. Sasuke was quiet for a couple of moments.

"Keep them."

Sakura's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?" Sasuke gave her a look.

"I said, keep them. I have tons of them."

The green-eyed female smiled. "You're not afraid that I'm going to sell these to your fangirls for a scandalous amount of money?"

Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes. "They'd probably kill you." Sakura laughed, and Sasuke was relieved at the sound.

"You're right, they would." She giggled, and nodded. "Okay, well, I'll just go get my stuff and then I'll see you later, okay?" Sasuke nodded, and Sakura flitted away. A couple of minutes later, Sasuke heard the door close quietly.

He sat there for a couple of minutes, battling with his inner self.

**You're worried about her.**

_Of course I am, she's my teammate. _

**Teammates don't worry about their other teammate the way that you worry for her. You're falling for her, aren't you?**

_Hell no._

**You always were good at denial. **

_…Shut up._

**Whatever, Uchiha. You love her, and you're selfish. You will do whatever it takes to not lose her again, won't you? **

A picture of a peaceful looking Sakura flashed through his mind, pale and calm, but she wasn't breathing; Sasuke found that he didn't have a comeback to that.

* * *

A week later, Sasuke irritably kicked at the dummy, eyes narrowed as he tuned out his inner voices shouting.

**Admit it, you moron. You care about her more than you should.**

_She's just a teammate._

**Liar! Teammates don't crawl into bed and cuddle up with their other teammates!**

That caused Sasuke to scowl; he didn't like having jabs taken at his manliness.

_I wasn't "cuddling up" with her. I was just comforting her._

**Uchiha Sasuke, we don't do comfort, or are you forgetting that? We don't do comfort, because Itachi is still out there to kill. There's a reason why we don't let ANYBODY get close to us. Do you want a repeat of what happened to our clan? **

Sasuke shuddered, remembering the immobile body of his mother slumped on top of his father, remembered how his heart clenched when he realized that the one woman that he loved, the only person in that house beside his beloved _nii-chan _that cared about him, was dead.

A cold feeling gripped his stomach as the smooth, silky hair began to turn red, then pink because of the blood, and instead of onyx eyes, emerald stared up at him in horror, mouth gaping open.

A sudden presence made the raven-haired male aware of his thoughts, and he inwardly ordered himself to relax and begin training once more. The intruder was no harm to him, he could tell by their weak chakra.

"Uchiha Sasuke?" Sasuke turned around and noticed a Chuunin staring up at him, obviously in awe.

"Hn." Sasuke said smoothly, putting his hands into his pockets and mentally repressing the images that had appeared in his mind.

"H-Hokage-sama requests your appearance in her o-office." The young boy stuttered, and with a nod from Sasuke, he scampered off. The soon-to-be-last Uchiha sighed and disappeared, reappearing inside of Tsunade's office. He inclined his head at the amber-eyed female.

"Sasuke, good, you're here." She stared at him seriously and linked her hands, leaning her chin on them. "Some of my hunter-nins have gathered word about one Uchiha Itachi," Sasuke stiffened at the words, "And I know that if I were to assign anybody to this mission, it would be you. Only I request that you take an ANBU squad, and I'm sure Naruto would want to come as well." Sasuke scowled slightly.

"I'll take Naruto with me, but no ANBU." Tsunade assessed him for a moment before nodding slowly. It was a miracle that Sasuke was even taking the Kyuubi vessel in the first place.

"Alright. Go tell Naruto to come to my office, right now. You two will be leaving Konoha. Tonight."

----

Sakura could tell that something was off. Tsunade-shishou seemed very tense, and it looked like her pink-haired apprentice would soon be dashing off to find the sake soon. "Tsunade-shishou? Is… is something wrong?" Sakura asked hesitantly. Tsunade sighed.

"No, Sakura, I'm fine. But I think that you should go spend some time with Sasuke and Naruto. I'll give you the rest of today and tomorrow off." Feeling forbidding clutch at her heart, Sakura nodded and hurried over to Sasuke's apartment after putting away her things.

Sakura pounded on the door with her fist, and after a couple of minutes, Sasuke opened the door. "Sasuke-kun, what's happening?" was the first thing out of Sakura's mouth.

"The dobe and I are leaving on a mission." Sasuke said, and opened the door for his female teammate. Sakura stepped inside the threshold, then sunk into a chair.

"What kind of mission?" She inquired warily. For a moment, she thought that hesitation flashed into his eyes, but she blinked and it was gone.

"Konoha hunter-nins spotted Itachi, and we're leaving on an assassination mission." Sakura felt panic clutch at her throat, making it hard to breathe.

"When?" She rasped, her vocal cords working furiously to unblock itself. She took a couple of deep breaths in order to calm herself down.

"When what?" Sasuke asked, frowning as he observed her critically.

"When do you leave for the mission?" Sasuke didn't answer. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Tonight." The panic was creeping up again, but Sakura stubbornly kept it at bay. She wouldn't lose it, no way, not in front of Sasuke. She was no longer that weak little girl, and she worked hard to keep up her composure. However, behind that calm façade, Sakura could feel her heart crumbling, feeling the bile rise at the thought of her boys dying.

Sasuke watched as her shoulders slumped and she seemed to want to curl into herself. He also noticed the way that she bit her lip and looked out the window, eyes misted over in a way that he was familiar with. Sakura wanted to cry, but she wouldn't allow herself.

"I'll be right back." Sasuke told her, and Sakura didn't even move. He stood there for another minute or so before heading into his bedroom, where he had been packing for the mission. Finished, he left the bag on his bed and headed out into the living room. Sakura still sat there, but her elbows were braced on her knees and her face was in her hands, shoulders shaking in silent sobs.

Somewhere, a tiny part of him hurt at the sight, but most of his feelings were determination. He _wanted _to kill Itachi, but it was more of he _needed _to kill Itachi. For his peace of mind and to also make sure that his bastard of a brother would never bestow the fate of their clan upon the people that Sasuke had slowly began to call friends. The same picture of Sakura taking his mother's place wormed its way into his minds eye, and Sasuke almost shuddered. He had lost the pink-haired female one; he had no intention of loosing her again.

Sasuke walked over, and the muscles in Sakura's shoulders tensed, sensing that he was there. "Why are you crying?" He asked.

"Because you and Naruto are leaving, and I don't want to be alone again." She replied, glancing up. Sasuke stared down at her, watching as a tear dripped from the corner of her eye and make its way down to her chin, where it dropped out of sight. Watched as her sad, pale face crumpled in pain and she looked down again.

"You have Kakashi." Sasuke countered. He wished he could just rip his own heart out (despite the gross factor of that) because it was twisting itself with every tear mark on her face, every time she sniffled, every time she brushed a hand against her face because she was trying to be strong because of him, because _he _was the one who had always called her weak.

"It's not the same, Sasuke-kun." She whispered, and looked up. He stared into those bright green eyes, shining with the tears she had left to shed.

Sasuke always found a way to make Sakura cry.

"I…I really don't want to be alone again. Not after…" She shook her head. "Not after my parents died. After they did, and when I woke up in your arms," here she blushed, and Sasuke could feel the heat creeping around the collar of his shirt, "I felt so complete. I felt whole again." Sakura confessed, and to the Uchiha's surprise, she didn't back down. "I don't know how I would feel if you and Naruto would die."

Sasuke could relate. He remembered how he felt as he stared down into Sakura's casket, mentally just begging her to open her eyes, to smile at him the way she always had. However, her eyes remained closed, as did her mouth. And Sasuke, though unwilling, knew that it was permanent.

Sakura stood, and hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around Sasuke. After a moment, he returned the gesture, relishing the feeling of having her in his arms. He knew that there was a great possibility that he would die on this mission, and this was the least that he could do for the girl whose heart he always seemed to unintentionally break.

"I know that there will never be anything that I could possibly do to stop you." She said, laughing, although it was broken by a sob towards the end. Unconsciously, Sasuke tightened his hold on the petite pink-haired medic. "Even if it wasn't a mission, I know that you wouldn't be happy unless Itachi was buried deep under the ground."

Naruto was his best friend, and the two could relate to one another, but Sakura, he believed, would always know him almost as well as the dobe. In fact, she even understood his various hn's and aa's.

Why was he such an idiot? She didn't deserve this, didn't deserve _him_. Why did Sakura constantly wait for him when all he was was just a big disappointment to every one? All he would ever do is bring her unhappiness, because he always seemed to hurt those that loved him the most. But he would have to hurt her, as much as it pained him. She, Naruto, and Kakashi were the only people in this entire world that Sasuke could (grudgingly, mind you) admit that he trusted his life to. He would not allow Itachi steal these last few things that made him happy.

Sakura shifted her head from his shoulder, and Sasuke turned his head to look down at her, look at those slightly red and puffy eyes, those flushed cheeks that still had tear tracks on them, that nose that was still clogged up from crying. He never realized how green her eyes were…why were they so big? Damn, they were getting closer.

And then, Sakura's mouth gently connected with his own. Her lips were soft, and they still tasted slightly of the salt that had fallen from her eyes. Despite this, Sasuke reciprocated, and his arms tightened their hold on her as his lips moved against hers. He never expected his night to turn out like this, but he certainly wasn't going to complain. If such a simple act would make Sakura happy, well then, he would allow it to go on. There were such few moments where he made her happy, and she…

Sakura was Sasuke's happiness.

The thought made Sasuke pull back, subtly trying to catch his breath. Sakura was doing the same, eyeing his apprehensively.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun." She apologized. "I don't know what came over me." Sasuke watched her, and then in a sudden burst of courageousness, he glued their lips together. It was only a couple of seconds, but it made Sakura's heart drop to her stomach.

"It doesn't matter." Sasuke murmured. Then, something occurred to him. "You have the keys to my apartment, right?" Sakura nodded. "Good. Collect your things and bring them here." The female gave him a confused look.

"What? Why?"

"You did say that you didn't want to be alone, right?" She nodded, and Sasuke grunted. "Okay then. Besides, that house is too big for you now." Sakura stood straight, and stared at him open-mouthed. Then, she snapped it closed.

"Thank you." She whispered. The words brought a pang of nostalgia to Sasuke, but he ignored it. After all, his leaving for Orochimaru had never happened, and as such, Sakura didn't realize how those two simple words affected him so.

Sasuke merely shrugged and headed into his bedroom, grabbing his bags. He headed once more into his living room. At the sight of his black bags Sakura looked at the floor, obviously trying not to break down again.

Sasuke approached the door, and now he and Sakura stood side by side, although they faced two opposite ends. "Sakura…"

"I'm sorry." He murmured, and opened the door, closing it softly behind him. Sakura closed her eyes, the tears falling from them.

She couldn't believe how much it hurt. Sure, he had kissed her, but it tasted of regret. What for? It wasn't his fault she had to go and be an idiot and fall in love with him. She didn't know the full consequences until they smacked her right in the face, dangling in front of her, taunting her because she knew that someone like her would, could NEVER possibly be with someone like him.

Their story reminded her of Romeo and Juliet. Their ending would be tragic, no matter how much she tried to defy the odds. Because in the end, they just weren't meant to be together.

The medic-nin shuffled her feet, and they carried her to Sasuke's bedroom. She collapsed onto the silken comforter and buried her nose into a pillow.

It smelled like him.

That night, Haruno Sakura cried herself to sleep.

* * *

_Come on, take a step towards me  
So you can figure me out  
I've been hoping and praying for a single way  
To show you what I'm all about  
And I know, and I know this is the only way of pleasing the crowds  
But when this is over and done with and we walk away  
There should be no doubts _

So let's get a little closer now  
Let's get a little closer now

You say, you say that we're all tied up  
And wrapped around in useless, useless states of mind  
But at the same time we're still young  
We have the time to realize that we were wrong

Come on love run with me  
Get the hell out of this town  
So we can get a better feel for each other  
I'll take you, back to, when you  
Remembered how you used to  
Just live your life a little for me  
Take the time to let it go  
Step away and watch me grow

So let's get a little closer now  
Let's get a little closer now

You say, you say that we're all tied up  
And wrapped around in useless, useless states of mind  
But at the same time we're still young  
We have the time to realize that we were wrong

You can stay if you want to  
And I write to you and tell you how you've always been so special to me  
You can stay if you want to, and I'll try  
You can stay if you want to  
And I write to you and tell you how you've always been so special to me  
You can stay if you want to, and I'll try

To keep you close to me (x3)

You say, you say that we're all tied up  
And wrapped around in useless, useless states of mind  
But at the same time we're still young  
We have the time to realize that we were wrong.

* * *

**A/N- So yes, they kiss, but at a price. And I know, I am a terrible, AWFUL person for making Sasuke leave again. But I did warn you that there would be angst in this chapter, right? I actually never intended for the fluff, but it just sort of seemed to flow. Also, this chapter came pretty easily to me. Friday is my mom's birthday, and she would've been forty-five. My dad and I were planning on visiting her grave on Friday, but we can't. It's like, ten degrees where I am, and the flowers would wilt. **

**Anyway, tomorrow is my last day of midterms, and then I'm FREEEE! Stupid Biology, ugh. But my week sucked. I had what Sakura had in the last chapter, MIDTERMS (those things are the spawns of evil!!) and my throat hurts really, really badly. Of course, I wanted to get sick, and now that I am, I'm like, go away! Sorry, that was weird. On another note, the song above is Beauty in the Breakdown by The Scene Aesthetic. It's a fantastic song, and I've been listening to it for the past couple of days. I feel so proud of myself, this chapter is pretty long. So ANYWAY, want to review? This time I'll give you… chocolate. Yeah. I'll give you chocolate if you review. **


	13. Pain

Chapter 13: Pain

How long had it been since Sasuke and Naruto had left? Sakura had no idea. The days all just seemed to blend into one another, and all she was aware of was the worry and the pain, the thought that at that very moment, her boys might be out dying on the battlefield. That either Naruto or Sasuke was captured and was being tortured for one reason or another.

Of course, at these times, Sakura had to shake herself and focus on her task as a medic-nin. Lives counted on her, and it wouldn't do if someone died because her mind hadn't been totally focused on the task in front of her.

The pink-haired female sighed, idly stirring a cup of tea while she stared out her window. A small smile took up residence on her face, because she wasn't in her big, lonely house. Nope, she was in Sasuke-kuns. She had done as he had instructed (because, honestly, when _hadn't_ she?) and had sold the house that she had grown up in. It had been hard, but all of the memories that the house held… well, it was better that she had sold it anyway.

She had work later, and Sakura glanced quickly at the clock. She had another two hours until she had to be at the Hospital… biting her lip quickly, she put her cup in the sink and then headed towards the bathroom.

The hot water pounded on her body, and she sighed, leaning her head against the wall.

She didn't like not knowing what was going on with Sasuke and Naruto. For all she was aware, Sasuke might have done something terrible to Naruto and joined with Orochimaru…

Sakura quickly shook her head, causing droplets of water to go flying from her short pink hair and smack the wall. She mustn't think like that! Sasuke would never do that…

Turning off the water quickly, she stepped out and wrapped a towel around herself, then dressed quickly before putting her hair up and glancing at the clock.

She had been in the shower for ten minutes. Where was her medal?

Putting on her headband, Sakura passed by the old Team Seven photo. She slowed down as she walked by it, then stopped and picked it up.

It seemed like such a long time ago that this had been taken. Back then, when Naruto had been so annoying, Sasuke had been apathetic, and Kakashi had been a mystery. The female laughed. That had been before they had known what a pervert he was, too…

Sakura locked the door behind her and stepped out into the warm sunshine, smiling gently. Before, she had felt sad about the boys leaving, but now, she trusted both of them and their abilities. Sasuke had come too far to let it all go to waste, and Naruto had the Kyuubi on his side, so he wouldn't get hurt.

Really, Sakura didn't even know why she had been worried.

----

"Haruno-san?" Huffing slightly, Sakura turned, and a chuunin smiled slightly at her. "Godaime-sama requests your presence in her office."

Sakura nodded slightly. "Thank you." She told the male, and he smiled before turning and walking away.

Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, Sakura began to walk towards the Hokage Tower. "Hey, Forehead girl!" Shaking her head, said "forehead girl" turned.

"Hey Ino-pig, what's up?" Ino jogged over.

"Not much, I was just on my way to the shop." She said, referring to the Yamanaka Flower Shop that she now basically maintained, since her parents were getting older.

"Ah, gonna go meet Shikamaru-san?" Sakura teased her friend, causing Ino to blush.

"Shut up!" She yelled, her face getting more flushed by the second, and the pink-haired medic grinned.

It was common knowledge that after Sasuke left to go train with Kakashi, the hot-tempered blond had set her sights on the lazy Nara genius. So far, things had been going pretty good; Shikamaru had even offered to help her out with maintaining the shop, much to everyone's disbelief.

"I'm not sure if Shika-kun will be there, and if he's not, then I don't care!" Ino said angrily, huffing and crossing her arms.

"But you want him to be there." Sakura said coyly, and the blue-eyed female turned to her, her tongue stuck out, causing her old friend to laugh.

"Anyway, I'm off to go see Tsunade-shishou, I'll see you later, okay?"

"Call me later, Forehead! We'll go out to dinner or something!" Ino yelled, and Sakura waved her hand to show that she had heard. She continued towards the Tower, and once she got there she knocked.

"Come in!" Yelled a voice, and she obeyed, bowing at the sight of her mentor.

"Hey, Tsunade-shishou. You called?" The amber-eyed woman nodded.

"Hai, I have a mission for you, Sakura." Her apprentice grinned. "I'm sure you'll like this one, and you have a partner," she frowned, "who is quite late." Almost as though the person heard this disapproving tone, they knocked. "Come in." Sakura studied the door in interest, and laughed at who she saw.

"Kakashi-sensei!" She greeted happily.

"Yo, Sakura." He said back. "Sorry I'm late, I-"

"Don't even bother, Kakashi-sensei, we all know you're gonna lie!" Sakura chided, and the male sighed. Tsunade smirked, shaking her head.

"Anyway, I have given the both of you a mission. It will take maybe two weeks," she pulled out a scroll and handed it to Kakashi, "everything you need to know will be in there." Kakashi opened the scroll and surveyed it with his one eye, while Sakura jumped behind him, trying to see over his shoulder. He turned to her, his eye crinkled in what she assumed was laughter, while she pouted angrily and crossed her arms, unknowingly repeating the actions of Ino from before.

"Mou, Kakashi-sensei, you're too tall!" She whined, and her former sensei handed her the mission scroll. She looked it over, reading it quickly, then nodded at the Hokage. "When do we start?" Sakura asked.

"Thursday, meet Kakashi at the gates of Konoha at five thirty in the morning."

Inner Sakura cringed. **'Is she for real?!'**

Sakura was inclined to agree with her inner self (for once) but she just said, "Hai, Tsunade-shishou."

The Godaime smiled. "I'm sorry that it's not any news about Sasuke or Naruto," Sakura stiffened slightly before she bowed her head, "but I'm sure that wherever they are, they're safe."

"I sure hope so, Tsunade-sama." She whispered before leaving. Tsunade and Kakashi shared a worried look before the latter disappeared with a _poof_.

Sakura yawned and slammed a fist on her alarm clock, which was buzzing angrily, and it took her bleary eyes a couple of moments to focus on the time. Four am. Dammit, she hated missions. Yawning again, she rolled out of bed, shivering slightly as she stumbled into the bathroom and turned the hot water on, stripping herself of her clothing and stepping into the water, which effectively woke her up. She turned off the water fifteen minutes later and wrapped herself in a fluffy green robe, then proceeded to go into the kitchen, rubbing her hair with a towel as she did so.

_'This whole getting up early thing really isn't cool.'_ She thought to herself sourly, making a cup of coffee in order to wake herself up a bit more.

Then again, it was kind of her fault; she had chosen to be a konoichi, and this was one of the consequences. Sakura made a face as she added sugar to her coffee and took a tentative sip, smiling slightly when it was perfect, and she stirred it before setting it down on the kitchen counter and headed into her room. She dressed quickly a red shirt with the Haruno symbol on it and a pair of black baggy capri's, putting her hair in a tight ponytail. Glancing in the mirror, she was satisfied with what she saw, and headed back into the kitchen where she blew gently on the steam and gulped down the not-so-hot cup.

Okay, a quarter to five. There was NO WAY in HELL that she was going to wait for Kakashi outside for a half-hour in the cold. Sakura frowned. She hoped to whatever God there was that her former sensei wasn't going to be late for this, although he probably would be and just blow it off with some kind of lame excuse such as, 'I got lost on the Road to Life.'

Sakura growled quietly. If he was late, she was going to show him the road to her FIST!

Sighing, she sat down on the chair in the kitchen, idly drumming her fingers on the table as she glanced once more at the clock. It was now five am, barely any better but it was a slight improvement. Getting up, she made more coffee, just to be able to preoccupy herself. By the time it was done and cool enough so that she could drink it without burning her throat, it was already 5:15. Nodding slightly to herself, Sakura grabbed her bag lying on the couch and locked the door behind her.

Everything was cool and still, the grass wet due to last night's raining, and the sky was a silvery haze of gray; the sun was going to rise in about an hour and a half. Sakura smiled and inhaled, basking in the simplicity of the morning, of being alone to preserve this beauty in her mind, if only for just a moment.

Then, she was off, dashing across the tops of the houses quickly, her feet barely even skimming the roofs. Sakura shivered slightly; damn, it was cold out! Her body twitched slightly, and goosebumps rose on her arm, the hairs rising. She ignored this, eyes narrowing as she approached the gates of Konoha. The female touched the ground lightly, looking around before glancing at the watch on her wrist. Okay, well, he still had five minutes to get here. She sighed, leaning against the wall as she stared up at the sky.

About ten minutes later she felt a familiar chakra coming towards her, and Sakura turned her head, watching. Kakashi-sensei was walking towards her, his head buried in that insufferable orange book. Sakura rolled her eyes, straightening. It seems that some things never changed.

"Yo." The silver-haired Jounin greeted quietly.

"Morning, Kakashi-sensei. I'm impressed, you're only five minutes late." Sakura said, smiling. His head lifted from his favorite porn novel, and his one eye crinkled.

"Don't get used to it." He told her, and his old student giggled.

"Don't worry, I won't." She replied. "Ready?" He nodded, putting the book in his pouch, and then they were off.

* * *

Sakura sighed, rubbing the back of her neck tiredly. "That was so pointless." She grumbled. 

"No it wasn't," Kakashi said patiently, his face once again obscured by his Icha Icha Paradise book, "That person that we had to guard was a very prominent person in their village, and they're allies with us. If we had refused, it would have caused a war, something that we want to avoid at this moment." He glanced at her. He wanted to tell Sakura that when she said that, she reminded him of a blond-haired hyperactive ninja with blue eyes and a deep love for ramen. He smiled slightly and went back to his book.

_'I wonder how they're doing.'_

* * *

The black haziness that had consumed him began to fade, and everything began to sharpen. Blue eyes blinked blearily, battling away the headache that threatened to form as he focused on his surroundings, and he could smell everything. The first thing he noticed was the blood. It was everywhere; it tinged the grass, the trees, hell, even the sky seemed to be red, but that could also be because the sun was either rising or setting. Naruto had no idea. 

The second thing that Naruto noticed were two prone bodies lying lifeless in the meadow. It was kind of hard to see them because not only was a migraine pounding on his skull but they were so covered in blood that they blended in with their surroundings. Sluggishly, Naruto stood up, his brain racing to remember what had happened.

They had defeated Orochimaru last week, and it had taken quite some time, but they had finally managed it. It wasn't a pretty sight, and they had spent a day or so recuperating, and then they had come to kill…

_'Foolish little brother,'_

Itachi.

Sasuke.

_Sasuke._

**_Sasuke._**

Naruto ran towards the fallen bodies. "SASUKE!" He screamed, and he slid towards one of the two. There was a hole ripped right through the heart, and their eyes were closed, the cloak surrounding them like a shroud of death. Wrong Uchiha, though. So it seemed Itachi was dead, but what about Sasuke? Naruto scurried over to the other body, lying ten feet away from his brother.

The blond felt his throat constrict and his heart flew towards his stomach, because at first glance he wasn't breathing. "No…" Naruto whispered, and dropped to his knees, fingers groping for Sasuke's wrist. He felt for a pulse, and almost sighed in relief. It was faint, but it was there.

But now what? Sasuke was dying, and there was no way in hell that Naruto was going to allow him to complete that journey. And suddenly, the answer struck him. Well, he was no Sakura-chan, but he could damn well try.

_'Please,'_ Naruto inwardly begged, as his hand began to glow green and he focused it on Sasuke's chest, forcing his heart to start beating, _'lend me some of your chakra.'_ Surprisingly, the Kyuubi obeyed silently, causing the chakra to be infused with some red. Naruto knew that he had to save some for himself, though, or they'd never get back to Konoha. He prayed that, hopefully, Sasuke wouldn't die on the way home, and he slung the raven-haired boy over his shoulder.

Naruto grunted at the weight, almost stumbling, but managed to right himself as he hopped through the trees. "Don't die on me, teme, DON'T YOU FUCKING DIE ON ME!" The Kyuubi vessel yelled angrily, but he knew it was no use, because Sasuke was unconscious. He wasn't even sure if he was saying to Sasuke or to himself.

Glancing at the pale boy, Naruto grimaced as he felt wet on his back. Sasuke was loosing blood, and fast. At this rate, the Kyuubi vessel didn't even know if the last Uchiha would make it to Konoha. The thought made Naruto speed up, the trees whizzing past them, blurring together.

"You can't die on me now, Goddammit!" The blond growled. "We've gotta make it back to Konoha, alive, so that you can marry Sakura-chan, and re-populate the Uchiha clan, just like you've always wanted." Horrified, Naruto found himself blinking back tears, but this was no time about saving face or keeping your pride. "And when I get back, I'm gonna hug Hinata-chan and tell her how much I love her. Then I'm gonna go out and find the biggest diamond I can, and I'll propose to her, so you can't die, you bastard, because you have to be the best man in my wedding!" Sasuke didn't answer, but Naruto didn't expect him to. "You've gotta live, so that I can teach your kids Sexy no Jutsu, and then you can yell at me at Sakura-chan can beat me to a pulp, and when you and her have kids, the first one will be a boy, and I can be the godfather, even if you don't want me to." Naruto bit his lip, feeling one tear slide down his cheek and darken his already soiled and bloody clothes. "You're _Uchiha Sasuke_, for Kami's sake! You're too good for Death!" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke was getting paler as the minutes ticked on, and Naruto increased his speed, his feet barely even touching the trees. "So don't you dare fucking die on me, teme." He whispered.

It was sunset when Sakura finally managed to get out of the Hospital. She yawned and stretched, glancing at the setting sun. She had been working since six am, having only one day off after her mission with Kakashi-sensei. All she wanted to do right now was go home, take a nice, long, hot bath and crawl into bed and sleep for a good twelve hours. A disturbance to her left made the medic-nin look, and she watched as a cursing Naruto ran into Konoha with a bloody, and paler-than-normal Sasuke slung over his shoulder. In fact, he was so pale it seemed as if he was…

_Lifeless._

It was then Sakura's world lurched and crashed around her feet.

* * *

**Dedication: To Veiled White Roses (AKA Jenny) because she had eight teeth pulled. I got one pulled and I thought I was dying, so this chapter is dedicated to her. **

**A/N- Uh, I know, it's been like three weeks since I last updated, and I am SO sorry! I've just been really busy, and I've been lazy. Please forgive me! And before I get some VERY angry reviews, no, Sasuke ISN'T dead. I remember the last time I did that in a fanfic, I got PM-ed by one of my friends threatening to stick some kitchen utensils places they weren't supposed to go if I ever did that again. Can you tell she's a Sasuke fan? **

**So, I'm sure that basically everyone here has watched Shippuuden by now, right? Oh man, did you guys see Sasuke? I never read the manga (but I did see spoilers of Naruto II, I know, I'm bad) and oh man, he's so hot! But his eyes look so dead… rawr! I want my Sasu-chan back, dammit! Although I have to say, episode three has to be my favorite. **

**Anyway, you guys, has anyone ever heard of a band called Hawk Nelson? Oh my God, they rock! Before you guys review, you should listen to their song Zero. I swear to God, the first time I heard it, it reminded me of Sasuke's leaving and what happens after. Either listen to it on youtube, or google the lyrics, but listen to the song and either leave me a review with what you thought of the song or PM me with your thoughts. The first time I heard it I cried, haha. But seriously, out of all the songs I've recommended for you all, that's the song that you should listen to. If you listen to it, I'll… I'll update faster? But you have to REALLY listen to it! Or read the lyrics. Or if you guys want, I'll just make a one-shot for it. It might suck, though. _Anyway, _review away!**


	14. Some things never change

Chapter 14: Some things never change

Sakura sat there, her head bowed while her thumb gently ran over Sasuke's. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry, dammit! And she had kept to her word. She had barked orders at Naruto, and had fixed his most severe injuries, and granted, there had been a lot. She couldn't even list them all. Now, Naruto had gone to go visit Hinata, mumbling something about a _'promise' _and _'trees'_.

Sakura herself had no idea what he had been talking about, but she had accepted it mutely with a nod. Now it was just her and Sasuke, because Kakashi-sensei had been sent off on another mission, but he was supposed to be back by tomorrow.

Sighing, the petal-haired female gazed at Sasuke's peaceful face. Her stomach clenched; they had been so close, _so very close_, to loosing him, and even now, there was a chance that he might not make it. Sakura brought up her other hand and stuffed it into her mouth to muffle the sobs as tears spilled down her cheeks. If there was a God, then she prayed that Sasuke wouldn't die. She didn't think she would be able to handle it.

"Sakura-chan?" Flushing, Sakura turned to meet worried blue eyes staring at her from the doorway.

"Naruto," she murmured, and he walked over and opened his arms. She stood up, dropping Sasuke's hand, and he engulfed her into his arms in a brotherly hug as she cried into his shoulder. She began to attempt to talk, but Naruto quickly shushed her. Not only would talking distress her even more, he couldn't understand a word she was saying.

"Sakura-chan, you haven't been home in three days," Naruto began sternly, gently pulling her back by her shoulders, "You go home, grab something to eat and take a shower, then come back here." Sakura shook her head.

"Really, Naruto, I'm fine." She protested, and he gave her a 'do-I-look-that-stupid-to-you?' look. Blood rushed to her cheeks. "Sasuke-kun needs me."

"There are other medics around." Naruto said smoothly, and Sakura bowed her head, not admitting the fact that other women touching Sasuke set her stomach on fire. She didn't even want to _think _about the reason behind that.

"Fine." She muttered grudgingly, and she cast one more look at the sleeping Sasuke before exiting the room.

Sakura entered her and Sasuke's apartment, throwing the keys onto the table before taking a shower. Of course, she had done so at the Hospital, but there was nothing better than showering in your own house. The pink-haired female sighed as she shut off the water and wrapped a towel around herself. Sakura made what was easiest, ramen, looking behind her shoulder the entire time. She half-expected Naruto to break down her door and demand some of the yummy, soggy noodles. However, he didn't, and she was able to enjoy her dinner in semi-peace.

Sakura glanced at the clock and deemed an hour being away from the hospital was enough. So she got up, washing out her bowl quickly before putting on a black t-shirt with the words Haruno on the back in white, complete with the white circle, and black baggy capri's, similar to the ones she wore for missions. Sakura walked easily through the town, smiling at the people she knew as she made her way back to the hospital.

"Sakura-sama, what are you doing back here?" One of the medic's asked as he stared at her. "Your shift ended three hours ago." She smiled at the male.

"I'm not working, Akio-san," Sakura told him, smiling. **(A/N- Akio means intelligent). **"I'm here to visit a friend of mine."

"A boyfriend?" Her friend inquired, raising an eyebrow and smirking, causing Sakura to blush.

"Kami-sama, no!" She denied, laughing. "We're just friends." _I think. _

Akio winked. "Okay, if you say so, Sakura-sama."

"How many times must I ask you to call me Sakura-chan?" She asked exasperatedly, although they both knew that she was only joking.

"Just once more, Sakura-sama." He replied, smiling demurely. Sakura laughed again, shaking her head.

"Anyway, I'm off to see Sasuke-kun. Ja, Akio-san." With a wave, she left her male friend. Sakura opened the door to Sasuke's room and almost laughed once more. Naruto was seated in the chair she herself had been not an hour and a half ago. His head was tilted back, snoring loudly. Sakura was surprised that Sasuke hadn't woken up and punched his ass to Suna. She walked over to the blond and gently shook his shoulder. "Naruto…" She called softly. The blond jerked awake.

"Wuzzgoinon?" He slurred sleepily, his head looking about wildly. Sakura bit her lip to stop from howling in laughter.

"You fell asleep," she told him, and from trying to keep in the fit of giggles, it sounded as if she was choking, "so I think that it's YOUR turn to go home. Go to sleep, Naruto, I'm sure you need it."

The future Hokage shook his head as he rubbed his eyes with his fist and yawned, his incisors flashing. "I wanna be here when Sasuke-teme wakes up."

"Naruto, I'm sure that waking up from unconsciousness and having you pounce on him three seconds later isn't exactly high on his to-do list."

Naruto pouted cutely. "You're so mean, Sakura-chan!"

She grinned at him. "Never said I was nice." She countered. "Go home and sleep, Naruto. I'll come and get you if Sasuke-kun wakes up." Sighing, he complied.

"Ja Ne, Sakura-chan!" He called from the doorway. She waved, and once he was gone, Sakura stared at Sasuke, watching as the sheet lifted slightly as he inhaled and deflated when he exhaled. She sighed, and her hand crept to Sasuke's hair. She had washed it (with difficulty, mind you; Sasuke was no lightweight) when Naruto had dragged his almost-dead body into the hospital. It had been full of blood (and other body parts) causing Sakura to grimace, even now. She was glad that it was back to its original soft and silky feeling. Her hands stroked his hair, her mind going back to a time when she had been sick and Sasuke had been forced to take care of her. **(A/N- Refer back to chapter 7 if you don't remember. Only this time, it's from Sakura's memory).**

_Sakura moaned softly as the colors blended together, causing her head to throb and her stomach to jerk. Once the walls stopped spinning, she was able to focus on her surroundings. A shock of black caught her attention, and Sakura looked down, her face softening. Sasuke was hunched over, his cheek resting on her blanket while he inhaled and exhaled softly. Sakura felt her hand twitch, and almost of its own accord, she started to stroke Sasuke's hair. She had never realized how…soft it was. Enjoying the feeling, she raked her nails across his scalp, causing Sasuke to sigh in contentment. Her heart almost burst with happiness, so she did it again, and that was when Sasuke awoke and the walls shut her away coldly._

Sakura repeated the action from so long ago, pulling gently on his hair, which twisted around her digits. This time, though, it didn't provoke a reaction. She sighed, her hand still buried in his hair.

"Please wake up, Sasuke-kun," she whispered. He didn't, though, and she sighed again, her hands moving to stroke his cheeks. His face remained impassive, just as it had so many other times. Her fingers gently moved over the ridges of his lips, and she blushed, returning them to his hair. "I wish you were awake." Sakura told him, smiling slightly. Perhaps now was the best time to tell him, because otherwise, he might just push her away.

_Sasuke-kun's not like that any more! _Inner Sakura protested, and her outer self agreed. But what had changed him, anyway? One day he was just totally ignoring her, glaring at her and telling her how much he detested her… and then the next day, he was still cold, but there was a type of longing there. It was almost as if he… he had been pushing her away but also wanted her near him.

_Stupid girl, what are you thinking?! This is **Sasuke **we're talking about! He hates us! _

**He can't hate us that much if he kissed us before he left.**

_You're lucky he didn't knock you out or something, it would be something he would do. _

Sakura scowled at the words of her inner self.

Still, what had caused the change? She fully intended to find out once Sasuke was awake.

Speaking of which…

Sakura chuckled. "I'm almost glad that you're not awake, Sasuke-kun. I'd probably be too much of a coward to tell you if you were," she glanced down at her hands, chuckling weakly. "Seeing you there, dying… it made me realize something. Something I've been trying to deny for years, but you're undeniable." Sakura frowned suddenly.

"I love you with all my heart." The weight from her chest seemed to release at these words. She had wanted to tell him for so long, and the thought that he might ever wake again for her to tell him how much she loved him, Kami, how much she would do for him… it ripped her apart. Sakura laughed bitterly. "And now you're dying, and you might never know how much… how much I want to be with you." She exhaled sharply. "I want to be with you forever, Sasuke-kun. Even though sometimes you act like a bastard, and God, you're so stubborn!" She laughed again, but choked on a sob towards the end, and suddenly, the tears were rolling down her cheeks again.

She hated crying, because it made her feel weak, so very, very weak. However, she couldn't help it. "I think that's why I love you so much, though. Because you are who you are. Even if you don't choose me to resurrect your clan with," just the mere thought made those tears fall faster, "then I won't mind. You deserve the happiness that you've been denied of for so long."

In a courageous move, she stood up, only to curl into the little space left beside him, laying her head on his chest and listening to the faintness of his heart beat, that little thread of hope that she had that he was still alive. She buried her nose into his shirt and inhaled. It smelled like him, like the fires that always seemed to be shooting from his mouth. Sakura never realized how much he was like fire; he burned you, with his words, those piercing eyes of his, the way he looked at you and made you feel an inch tall. Yet, sometimes, he was cooling embers, still hot enough to scald somewhat, but at least you were close enough to feel the warmth. Those embers were rare, though.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun." Sakura whispered, leaning up and kissing his cheek. "That will never change." She laid her head back onto his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist. Eventually, she fell asleep from the warmth his body omitted. Once she was slumbering, Sasuke cracked open an eye and glanced down at her. He smirked slightly, his hand coming up and toying with her hair, burying itself inside of the soft locks.

The words, "I love you with all my heart," brought a pang of nostalgia to him, but he ignored it. Because this time, he did not intend to leave her ever again.

---

Sakura woke up, blinking blearily as she assessed her surroundings. She felt warm… and this smell _definitely _didn't smell like her apartment. It took a moment to realize why; Sasuke's arm had crept around her waist and his legs were tangled up in hers. Her nose was buried in the junction where his neck and shoulder met, while his was buried in her hair. Sakura hissed out a curse. How was she supposed to get out now?!

She gently tried to pry off his hands, but he wasn't a ninja for nothing. She sighed, and slowly began to ease out of his grip. Sakura grinned. Almost there! Then, she felt a hand's grip tighten around her waist, and her chest was smashed against something hard as Sakura let out a squeal.

She looked up and emerald clashed with onyx. "Sasuke-kun," she breathed. "You're awake."

"Hn." He hummed, still staring at her. Sakura fidgeted slightly.

"Uhm, Sasuke-kun, I have to go home, I think."

"No you don't." She raised an eyebrow. "It's two in the morning. "

"I've been sleeping for that long?!" Sakura almost screeched, but managed to let it out as a harsh whisper. Sasuke smirked.

"Aa." He said. She stared at him before her medic training kicked in, and she tried to squirm out of his grasp.

"Come on, Sasuke-kun, I have to make sure you're okay!" She protested, attempting to get out of arms. They tightened in response.

"You can do that in the morning." He replied. Sakura glared at him, which he returned. His other arm snaked around her waist, and he smirked victoriously at her as Sakura's cheeks flamed red.

"What are you doing?" She whispered.

"What do you think I'm doing?" He asked smugly. Her cheeks, if possible, turned a darker shade.

"How long have you been awake?" She asked, changing the subject. He shrugged.

"A while." He answered vaguely, and Sakura glared at him again. Sasuke merely lifted an eyebrow, and was that some _amusement _shining in his eyes?

Pouting, she muttered, "So mean." His lips twitched upwards in a smirk.

"Go back to sleep, Sakura."

"I'm not tired." She said, and he glanced at her.

"Too bad." He told her, and he closed his eyes, burying his face into her hair. Sakura sighed in exasperation.

"Sasuke-kun, I can't breathe." She squealed when she was flipped around and her back was now pressed against his chest, his hands wrapped around her waist and resting comfortably on her stomach.

"Better?" He asked, and his hot breath on the shell of her ear made Sakura shiver.

"Yeah," she murmured, trying to control her breathing, which had begun to turn erratic. However, Sasuke's own breathing slowed, and eventually, Sakura's did too.

* * *

Just as promised, Sakura checked Sasuke over in the morning. Her hands run over his stomach, frowning as the chakra mended smaller wounds than what he had first come in with. Sasuke watched her with dark eyes that assessed her every movement, and the teen ignored his gaze while she worked on making sure that his bone wouldn't pop out or something while he walked. 

"Sakura-san?" A voice called, and the petal-pink haired female turned at the sound of her name, smiling brilliantly.

"Akio-kun!" She greeted, and Sasuke's eye twitched.

**What. The. Fuck. Did. She. Just. Call. Him?!**

The man named Akio grinned and bowed. "Good morning, Sakura-san. I assume that this is your friend?" The other male turned and inclined his head at the last Uchiha. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at him, but Akio didn't seem to notice. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sasuke-san," he turned to Sakura, "You didn't specify what time you wanted me to pick you up later."

"Hmm," Sakura began, glancing at the clock and obviously calculating something, probably her schedule.

**How does _never _sound? **Sasuke thought scathingly.

"I get off at four thirty. Can you pick me up by six?" Akio nodded and smiled at her.

"Perfect, I get off at five." Sakura returned the gesture.

"If you like, I could wait for you." She offered, and Akio smiled. A little bit too happily for Sasuke's tastes.

"No, that's okay, Sakura-san. I'll just come pick you up at your apartment." Sakura nodded and smiled. "Okay then. Ja Sakura-san."

"Ja Ne Akio-kun!" She called after him, waving a little at his retreating back. Smiling and shaking her head, Sakura came face-to-face with one inwardly seething Uchiha. "Uhm, Sasuke-kun, is something the matter?"

He didn't answer her, only stared at her with those unfathomable onyx eyes, and just like so many times before, Sakura felt like she was drowning in them.

"Who was he?" Sasuke asked quietly, but to ones who knew him best, she could hear the fury laced in his tone.

"Just one of my friends. Why?"

"People don't date their friends, Sakura."

**Perhaps he hadn't made it clear enough when he kissed her before he left that the idea of her dating other men disturbed him. **Sasuke mused inwardly.

He remembered a time just like this, back in his own past. Sakura had been seeing some jackass named Makoto, and had Sasuke not been Sasuke, he would've ripped out his eyeballs every time he so much as _looked_ at Sakura. Therefore, Sasuke was not having a little repeat of that performance. Not that he was jealous. Uchiha's DON'T get jealous. They do get pretty possessive of things that are theirs, though. And Sasuke was beginning to realize, just as what Sakura had said to him, (though she didn't realize that he had been awake) you can't deny the undeniable. So he didn't.

"It's not a date, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said, biting back the urge to stop her foot and cross her arms with a very childish, 'So there!'

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me." He deadpanned, and Sakura threw up her hands.

"You're impossible, do you know that?!" She hissed, and turned away. A hand snatched her wrist, and before she knew it, soft lips were searching hers.

Sakura closed her eyes, and Sasuke took advantage of the situation by placing her hands around his neck, where they buried in the little hairs along his nape.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura moaned, as Sasuke's lips trailed down to her neck. Sasuke smirked against her skin.

He was trying to make the best of the situation. And he had been sent down here to fix things, right? Well, the first time around, he had pushed Sakura away, fighting back the feelings he had for her. After all, he had never known what love was really like, besides with his mother, but that was totally different. The way Sakura had made him feel made him angry, because she was so loud and vibrant and annoying and who did she think she was, destroying his carefully constructed world made of walls and thorns and dead ends? He had learned his lesson the first time around; there was no way he was going to let such a thing happen again.

"Naruto!" Sakura gasped out, and the raven-haired male lifted his head, frowning. Why was she thinking of **Naruto **when it was **Sasuke **who was kissing her?! She must've noticed, because she elaborated hurriedly, "I told him I'd come get him when you woke up."

Semi-satisfied, he returned to marking her shoulder. "The dobe can wait." He murmured, and Sakura watched him for another moment with half-lidded eyes, basking in the feeling that this was _Sasuke _that was doing this. The boy that she had cared about her entire life, possibly even LOVED her entire life. And he was here, with her, kissing her.

Then, the questions from before rose up, and Sakura carefully pulled his hair up. "Wait, Sasuke-kun, I have to ask you something."

A soft, irritated sigh escaped Sasuke's lips, obviously a little mad that he had been torn away from his task. Sakura gave no inclination that she had heard him. "Sasuke-kun, when we were twelve, you hated me, remember?"

He inwardly winced and nodded. "Well, do you remember a day where you… you were more tolerant of me."

Oh no. Oh no no no, he did NOT like where this was going. But Sakura was stubborn, and she would want an answer. "Why was that?"

The last Uchiha sighed, sitting down on the bed. On one hand, he could tell her that he was from the future, a future that didn't include her. A future that had a serious Naruto who, he knew, had spent hours at a time staring at the Shinobi Memorial. Whenever Sasuke had passed it he would sometimes catch sight of the blond, hands tracing over the dull words of _Haruno Sakura_. A future that included a Kakashi that had been on time for something, where there were times where their former sensei looked at pink ribbon and the pain in his eye was intolerable.

On the other hand, he could tell her coldly that he had no idea what she was talking about, or that she should mind her own business, and he could turn his back to her, just as he had done so many other times before. Sasuke knew that that would break her heart, though, and he had no intention of loosing her to that idiot Akio.

"I'll tell you, just… not now." He murmured finally, his head bowed so that he stared at the floor. Suddenly, he felt a warmth that engulfed him, and Sakura straddled him, holding his chin firmly while her green irises burned into his violet ones.

"Then that's good enough for me." She told him, and tilted her head, kissing him gently before pulling back. Sasuke smirked and brushed his lips against hers. Sakura giggled and got up. "Sorry Sasuke-kun, no can do. I've got to go visit Naruto, remember?" She waggled a finger at him, although there was an amused glint in her eyes. "I'll stop by later, though, and bring you the clothes from… our apartment." She blushed softly, and Sasuke's smirk widened, his possessive side roaring in agreement to her last words words.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, and Sakura smiled tentatively at him.

"Ja, Sasuke-kun." She said, before leaving. Sasuke chuckled to himself as he laid down on the bed. This was turning out better than he could have ever hoped for.

----

"Naruto?" Sakura knocked on the door. No answer, so she knocked again. "Naruto! Wake UP!" The door was flung open by a grinning blond, radiating happiness. Sakura blinked. "Uh, you told me to come get you when Sasuke-kun awoke."

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I did." A raven-haired female appeared at Naruto's side, and she smiled at Sakura.

"Hi, Sakura-chan," She greeted, and the jade-eyed female smiled at her friend.

"Hey, Hinata-chan." She pulled the other girl into a hug, but felt something digging into her back. Sakura pulled away, frowning, and something glinted. She looked at the two of them, the wheels in her head spinning. The pressing of the object, Naruto's overly happy attitude. "Are you guys…?"

Naruto nodded once more, grinning so wide that it looked as if his face was going to split apart. "Dattebayo! Hinata-chan and I are going to get married!"

* * *

**Dedication: Christina! Happy birthday my love! Haha, that's my cousin . If you've ever read Surprise by xBrokenxAngelxWings (formerly known as Invisible1withnofaith) then you would probably know her. I write the story, but she gave me her penname to use it for. So her new penname is Untainted Celestial Goddess. I suggest everyone PM her and wish her a VERY happy birthday.**

**A/N- Oh yeah, I KICK ASS! I set my goal for Sunday, and right now, it may be 1:33 in the morning, so I guess this counts as Saturday. But I still think of it as Friday XD. So yeah, I feel pretty special right now. Despite the fact I think I'm getting a cold. Rawr! Don't expect another update to come as fast as this one did. Not unless something amazing happens. Though I do have delayed openings these next two weeks, so you guys might get your miracle. Oh, and about the part with Naruto and Hinata, if you remember from the last chapter, he promised the unconcious Sasuke that when they got back to Konoha, Naruto was going to give Hinata a big hug AND PROPOSE TO HER. **

**So, Melissa is VERY happy. And for those that have read the newest manga chapter, I'm sure you know why XD. Plus, oh my God, 251 reviews? I think I'll kidnap and huggle you all, now. Keep 'em coming! Anyway, I believe I've rambled enough now. Hope you guys enjoyed the major fluff, and I ish SO sowwy if you think Sasu-chan is a _wee_ bit too OOC. Review and I'll give you chocolate chip cookies! Mmm, you know you want some. **


	15. An Uzumaki wedding, DATTEBAYO!

Chapter 15: An Uzumaki wedding, DATTEBAYO!

_All she was aware of was the pounding footsteps of her feet. Some part of her warned that she should know better, since she herself was a medic-nin, but Sakura paid no attention to her conscience. Not now. Not when her world was falling apart into little fragments at her feet, and she couldn't pick them up lest she get cut. She turned a corner and almost ran into the information desk. "Sakura-sama?" The receptionist asked in utter astonishment. Normally Haruno Sakura was cool and calm, but not today. There was hair sticking to her face and her eyes were wide and wild._

_"I need the room number to Haruno Madoka _**(A/N- which means tranquil; this is her father) **_and Haruno Asami _**(A/N- which means morning beauty; this is her mom)** _please!" The nurse nodded and quickly scanned her computer._

_"Room 207," she said quietly, and Sakura was off again, not even bothering to say thank you. Numbers flashed before her eyes but she didn't care about any of them. She rushed around another corner. 203...204...205...206... She stopped dead. A med-nin was just exiting the room, about to close the door._

_There were two bodies inside with sheets on them._

_He looked surprised to see her, and then there was kindness in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sakura-sama. We did everything we possibly could do to save your parents." He walked past her and clapped her on the shoulder, squeezing softly in comfort. "I'm very sorry." He murmured again, and walked away. Sakura waited until he had gone and unglued her feet, opening the door and stepping into the room. She stared down at one of the white sheets and slowly removed it, seeing the image of her father's peaceful and pale face. Tears swam into her vision, and she bent down and kissed his cold forehead, tears rolling down her cheeks._

_"I'm sorry."_

Sakura awoke with a scream, her body jerking as she cried. "Daddy," she sobbed, and felt a body sit up next to her.

"Sakura…?" She turned and stared into onyx eyes, which were watching her cautiously. Sasuke raised an eyebrow as the girl threw herself at him, crying into his shoulder. Hesitantly (because he had never been one for close contact) he wrapped his arms around her, hand cupping the back of her head. "Shush…" he murmured, wanting to calm her down. He had never liked crying females, especially Sakura, because her tears made something twist in his gut. It was doing so now as he felt her body shake as she cried. It wasn't often that she had these dreams anymore, but sometimes she did, and whenever she did, she always curled into his side, and he would hold her against him. Sakura was made for happiness, not this kind of sadness; the kind of sadness that made you wake up from nightmares, screaming from the pain, only to be hit with it twice when you realize you're alone.

A part of him murmured that so long as he shall live, he wouldn't let her know that feeling of intense loneliness. He would be there when she woke up, terrified from those nightmares. He wouldn't let her be alone.

Eventually, Sakura's body stopped shaking with the force of her tears, and she was breathing shallowly into the junction that joined Sasuke's shoulder and neck. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun," she whispered, and he scowled. What did she have to be sorry about? She didn't choose to have these nightmares.

"Forget about it." He said, shifting her from his lap back to the bed. He laid down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. Sakura reached up, rubbed her eyes of any remaining tears, and then moved, so that she was facing Sasuke. She smiled sadly up at him, and his eyes softened slightly.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun." She whispered.

"Hn." He replied, and Sakura smiled again before drifting off to sleep, but Sasuke didn't. He watched her sleep.

* * *

"Dobe, calm down." Sasuke grumbled, watching as his best friend paced the floor. Blue eyes stared at him.

"Teme, how do you expect me to calm down?! My wedding is in ONE MONTH!" He howled, continuing to burn a hole through the rug. Charcoal eyes rolled as he watched the blond.

"Naruto, all you're doing is getting your tux. How do you think you'll feel when you'll actually be GETTING married?" Naruto stopped pacing, but now he stood rigid with fear.

Sasuke winced. Ah, jeez. "Look, dobe, you…" He couldn't even say the big L-word, "You care deeply for Hinata, right?" That was as close to the L-word as he was _ever _going to get.

Naruto looked at him. "I love her," he said, and Sasuke nodded.

"Then relax," he smirked, "idiot."

The Kyuubi vessel immediately began hurling insults at the last Uchiha, and Sasuke smirked, leaning his head back against the wall as he listened to Naruto's tirade. "Ah, Naruto-san?" A man asked, and Naruto looked at him. "Your tux is ready." **(A/N- Okay, guys, I've never been lucky enough to attend a Japanese wedding, and looking it up will not only be troublesome ((kyaa, Shika-kun!)) but will cause a later update than normal. Therefore, this is going to be an American-styled wedding. I am terrible sorry if anyone is offended or mad).**

Naruto took deep breathes, and then he strode across the room and grabbed the hanger with the bag over it, hiding the black suit beneath it. He muttered an, "Arigato," before hurriedly exiting the shop. Sasuke rolled his eyes once more before following Naruto, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Oi, Naruto," he called, and the man ahead of him slowed down, and they began to walk together. "Look, dobe, there's no need to be nervous." He told him, and Naruto spun to face him, face aghast.

"No need?! NO NEED?! TEME, I'M GETTING _MARRIED!_ I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU MARRY SAKURA-CHAN YOU'LL ONLY **PRETEND **TO BE ALL COOL AND BAD-ASS, BUT YOU'LL BE FREAKING OUT ON THE INSIDE!"

If Sasuke weren't Sasuke, he would have blushed to the tips of his hair. As it was that he was an _Uchiha_, he merely smacked Naruto in the back of the head.

However, his words had caused a mini battle inside of his head. Technically, Sakura and he weren't even dating, though they shared an apartment and, occasionally, kisses. Though he supposed it really couldn't be helped seeing as it was a one-bed roomed apartment, and they had to share a bed. The first week they lived together, Sasuke had slept out on the couch, refusing Sakura's calls that SHE would take the couch. However, after an entire week of this (and some _very_ bad pains in his back) they both just decided to share the bed. Which wasn't bad, in the beginning. Until Sakura woke up every morning tangled up in her crush, reminding her of the night her parents died. In the beginning, just remembering the night was painful, because four important people had left her, but two had come back; besides, the pain had slowly lessened.

"Yo, Earth to teme!" Sasuke's gaze snapped back to Naruto, finding that they had stopped at Ichiraku. He rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess, you want ramen?" He asked dryly, and Naruto smiled sheepishly, running a hand haphazardly through his hair.

"Haha, yeah," He said. "Do you want some, Sasuke? I'll pay." Sasuke raised a disbelieving eyebrow, but shrugged as if to say, _'Sure, why the hell not?'_

The azure-eyed man grinned happily and hurried over to one of the stools, calling for, "Miso ramen, please Ayame-chan?"

"Beef ramen," Sasuke murmured, linking his hands together in front of his face. A couple of minutes later their bowls were placed in front of them and Ayame smiled at the two males before going over to other customers.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto said cheerfully, and began to dig into his ramen in enthusiasm. Sasuke shook his head at his best friend and started to eat in a calmer manner. After two bowls for Sasuke and seven for Naruto, the blond began to dig through his pockets, pulling out the frog wallet. "Uh…Sasuke…"

The last Uchiha didn't even need to see it to know it. "Moron," he growled, and pulled out some money, placing it on the counter.

"Thanks Sasuke!" His best friend said cheerfully, and Sasuke sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets

"How Hinata puts up with you, dobe, is something I'll never know," he grunted, and Naruto laughed.

"I'm not sure, either," he confessed softly, and Sasuke glanced at the azure-eyed male out of the corner of his eye. Naruto had a small smile on his face, and was, no doubt, thinking fondly of his fiancée. Sasuke wondered if that was what love did to people, and then vehemently swore to _never _act like that. He'd rather scalpel out his eyeballs then grin goofily whilst thinking about your "significant other". "So, teme, when are you going to marry Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke turned to Naruto, shock written all over his face. "What?"

Naruto grinned. "Well, it's so obvious that you love her, and we know Sakura-chan loves you too. Although how _she _puts up with _you _is beyond my comprehension."

"Most things are." Sasuke said acidly, and walked away. Naruto stood there for a moment, face fixed in concentration.

"Most things are…" he echoed, thinking about it. His face grew angrier when he got it. "TEME! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE! BAAASTARD!"

* * *

"Breathe, Hinata-chan," Sakura soothed, while the raven-haired girl, who was sitting in a chair in her wedding gown, clutching her knees with her head bowed.

"I-I'm trying, Sakura-chan." Hinata murmured, and Sakura sighed, wishing that Ino would just get here already. She had always been the best at handling a crisis. Almost as though the blond had heard this, she breezed through the door, hands full of a bag that no doubt held about a pound of makeup.

"Nice timing," Sakura said dryly, and Ino shrugged.

"I'm here, aren't I?" She replied, and Sakura watched as she walked over to Hinata. "Okay, Hinata-chan, let's make you more beautiful than you already are!"

By the end of it, the pink-haired girl had to hand it to Ino; she certainly had outdone herself. Hinata's now-longer hair was in a simple braid, coupled with flowers weaved in, and she had on light makeup which only enhanced her beauty. "You look beautiful, Hinata-chan." Sakura said in awe, trying to ignore the little voice in her head that wanted to know when _she _would be in a wedding dress.

Hinata blushed profusely. "So did you ever think you'd be marrying Naruto?" Ino inquired, as she brushed a little bit more blush on Hinata's face and rubbing it in.

"Never," the opal-eyed female confessed. "I a-always thought he'd marry you, Sakura-chan."

"Me?" Sakura laughed. "Nah, he's more like a brother to me. I think that if we ever did get married, it'd be weird." Hinata smiled softly. "Besides, I would've killed him. I don't have the patience you have for his stupidity." All three of the girls laughed at that. "But Naruto's good at heart. He's just a little dense. After all, it took him only Kami knows how long to ask you out."

"But that's okay, since that's in the past, and now, our little Hina-chan is marrying our sweet little Naruto-kun," Ino teased, causing Hinata to blush again. Sakura giggled and shook her head at the two.

A knock sounded on the door, and Sakura walked over and opened it. "Neji-san," she greeted.

"Sakura-san, Ino-san," The pearly-eyed shinobi answered, inclining a head at the both of them. "Hinata-sama, it's time." Hinata gulped audibly, and immediately Ino and Sakura were at her side, ready to catch her should she faint.

"Come on, Hinata-chan, you look like Cinderella. Now let's go meet your Prince Charming." Sakura soothed, and it worked. Hinata nodded and stood up, tucking her pale, dainty hand into the crook of the arm that Neji offered.

She took a deep breath as she watched Hiashi walk towards her and Neji took his place beside Tenten, who smiled at him. "You look…nice." Her father offered, and Hinata smiled softly and thanked him. Music began to play and the first couple out were Sakura and Sasuke, because Sakura was Hinata's Maid of Honor and Sasuke was, of course, Naruto's best man. The next two out were Neji and Tenten, followed by Shikamaru and Ino and Hanabi and Chouji.

And then there was a different kind of music playing, and Hinata inhaled sharply as she rounded the corner. The first thing she noticed was Naruto standing there, and his blue eyes bore into her own pale lavender ones. He looked so handsome standing there, in his black tux, with his mouth hanging open at her appearance. Blood rushed to her cheeks, and the urge to avert her eyes almost overwhelmed her, but Hinata firmly kept her gaze.

Once they approached Naruto, Hiashi gave the Kyuubi vessel a stern looked before almost reluctantly stepping away from his daughter and taking his seat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today," Tsunade began, reading from a book, but that was all Hinata heard; she was too busy looking at Naruto, who was staring unabashedly back.

_"I love you," _He mouthed, and even though he had said this numerous times, it never failed to make her heart skip a couple of beats. Tears swam in her eyes, because she could sense the truth beneath it. She didn't think the blond would ever understand the enormity of her love for him; the way she felt about him couldn't be placed into a mere three words, but that was okay, because he had a lifetime to figure it out. **They **had a lifetime to figure it out, and although the road would be bumpy, they'd get their Happily Ever After.

"Do you, Uzumaki Naruto, take Hyuuga Hinata to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death due you part?" Naruto regretfully stopped gazing at Hinata and focused on Tsunade.

"I do," He murmured, and the Hokage turned to Hinata.

"Do you, Hyuuga Hinata, take Uzumaki Naruto to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death due you part?"

"I do," Hinata said, echoing Naruto.

"Then Naruto, you may kiss the bri-"

Naruto was already leaning towards her and their lips met in a kiss, and Hinata's stomach jerked as his hands rested comfortably on her hips and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You look beautiful, Hinata-chan," he whispered in her ear, and Hinata smiled. Tsunade saw the happy flush on the bride's face and she herself smiled.

"I am proud to announce Uzumaki Naruto and Uzumaki Hinata!" Everyone stood up and began to cheer. Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were all crying and laughing.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Naruto said, and grabbed her hand. Hinata didn't know where they were going, and she didn't care, so long as Naruto didn't let go.

---

The party was going in full swing, and everyone was happy. Hinata smiled as she buried her face into Naruto's shoulder, and he reciprocated by tightening his grip on her waist as they danced. "So how do you feel, Uzumaki Hinata?"

Hinata knew that should she die at that moment, she would die a very happy woman. When she had been younger she had always envisioned Naruto's last name going with her first name, but she never expected it to become a reality.

"H-happier than you could ever imagine, Naruto-kun." She replied, and she felt Naruto smile against her hair.

"You looked so beautiful when you were walking towards me, Hinata-chan." He confessed, and Hinata smiled. She didn't think that there was anything better than this euphoria, except maybe when Naruto had first told her he loved her, but that was a rather shaky maybe.

She leaned up and kissed Naruto on the cheek, but he turned his head and they were lip-locked. The blond grinned against her mouth and pulled away, staring her in the eyes. "I love you. I love you so much. I can't wait to have children with you, for our kids to have your kindness. I can't wait to grow old with you, and when I want to die, I want to die in your arms." He told her seriously.

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and Naruto wiped them away with a gentle hand, and cupped her face. She leaned into the touch slightly, and there was nobody else in that moment, just them.

"I love you, Naruto-kun." She told him, wishing that there was some word in the dictionary that described how much deeper she felt for him; she loved him so much that it almost hurt, sometimes, but what did it matter now? He was her husband and she… his wife. She pinched herself, and Naruto arched an eyebrow. Hinata shook her head. "N-nevermind." She said, and the azure-eyed shinobi grinned and kissed her again. She didn't think she would ever tire of kissing him.

Once they pulled away, she leaned her cheek onto his chest and quietly reflected on this temporary high of being a new bride. Although she didn't think that being his wife would ever cease to amaze her. She looked around her and observed the people. Standing by the food table was Sakura, holding a glass of something in her hand and staring out into the crowd of dancing people. A couple of seconds later Sasuke walked over casually and stood next to her. Sakura smiled at the Uchiha, and from her vantage point, Hinata noticed the softening of his eyes, and that he didn't push her away when she placed her head on the edge of his shoulder.

Ino and Shikamaru were dancing as well, and it was one of the few times the two looked completely at ease. Though they weren't officially dating, Hinata and Sakura knew that the Nara genius made Ino happier than any other male had. Plus, they knew Shikamaru would never break Ino's heart, and if he did, no matter how unintentionally…

Well, an angry Sakura was a thing to afraid of.

Hinata's opal eyes searched for her cousin, and she found him sitting down. Tenten and Lee were dancing, and Neji was watching the two of them like a hawk. Hinata stifled a laugh and sighed in happy contentment, snuggling in deeper to Naruto. Her husband (oh how she loved that word) grasped her chin gently, and as he kissed her softly, the only thought that floated through Hinata's mind was, _'I could get used to this.'

* * *

_

**A/N- Uhm, wow. There is so much I want to say to you guys. 290 reviews? Holy hell, you guys totally pwn my world. I love you all, and just wanna thank you so much for the support. In fact, you guys rock so much, if you review, you get a Kakashi t-shirt. I know that there are character haters on here, but I have _yet _to meet someone who hated Kakashi. Anyway, I wanted to take a backseat with the SasuSaku and put in some NaruHina love, because they're my second favorite couple. Oh, and the beginning scene is Sakura first finding out that her parents are dead. Uh, it's 3:30 am. I am dead tired. Anyone got coffee? Oh, and thirdly, this chapter is dedicated to Inulover4eva (my sister) and runwithskizzers, since they got my butt moving and updating. Lastly, not only would I love you forever but I would also love it if you reviewed the one-shots I've posted in the month of not updating this fic. Like, I'd super hardcore love it. Please? And also, happy Easter everyone!**

**Note to all Surprise readers: I am SO sorry for the late update! There is something funky going on with logging in, and Christina and I are working on it as we speak. Well, not really, since it's 3:30 in the morning. I don't have much for the new chapter, but I'm working on it, slowly but surely. I kind of lost my passion for it after seeing how OOC Sasuke was, but I'm not giving up on it, never fear. If you want, to compensate for the lateness, I'll e-mail you what little I have so far. Again, I'm terribly sorry for the lateness.**


	16. All these things I hate

Chapter 16: All these things I hate

Once more you tell those lies to me  
Why can't you just be straight up with honesty?

--All these things I hate

Bullet for my Valentine

Hinata and Naruto's wedding had been a little more than a month ago, and the Hokage's wife was now pregnant. Sakura smiled as she looked at the new Uzumaki, who was returning the gesture. "Are you going to tell Naruto today?" She questioned, and the dark-haired female shrugged slightly.

"I-I'm not sure. He comes back from his mission today, but I'm not s-sure what time he'll return."

Sakura nodded to herself. "That's right," she murmured, then smiled brightly at Hinata. "Okay, well, I'm sure waiting one more day wouldn't hurt, ne?"

The other female smiled and nodded. "Sakura-chan, I was wondering… and I'm sure that Naruto-kun would agree on this… would you and Sasuke-san like to be the godparents?"

Sakura blinked in shock before her lips lifted upwards in a warm smile. "I would love to be the godmother, Hinata-chan. Sasuke-kun…" she started to laugh, "well, you know him; he'd probably scowl and say that it's a stupid idea, but he'll accept." Hinata almost laughed at the determination in her friends eyes. "I'll make sure of it."

"I don't think Sasuke-san will appreciate you forcing him to do that…" The opaque-eyed girl murmured nervously, and Sakura merely shrugged in response.

"Well, too bad for him." She said, flashing a grin and a V sign of victory. Hinata laughed, and Sakura smiled demurely. "Alright, well, I've got to jet. Tsunade-sama still needs that paperwork done, and some other moron is going to get themselves hurt. But call me later and tell me Naruto's response, okay Hinata-chan?" Hinata nodded and smiled softly.

"S-sure, Sakura-chan. Have fun."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, fun." she echoed, thinking of the amount of papers that were probably steadily increasing on her desk. The Hyuuga heiress left with a wave, and not long after, Sakura reluctantly headed to her office. As expected, there was a mountain of paperwork awaiting her, and the pink-haired beauty sweatdropped. "Kami-sama," she uttered, then sighed and cracked her knuckles and her neck. "Shannaro!" She said, then sat down and began to tackle the overwhelming amount of paper.

Darkness crept outside, but inside Sakura took no notice, too absorbed in her work to pay much attention to the fact that twilight was beginning. She was also too focused to realize that a certain dark-haired shinobi was watching her with obsidian eyes.

He couldn't believe that she hadn't sensed his chakra yet. However, he decided to take advantage of the situation and observe her. Her eyebrows were drawn in the middle as she read the important document, and a frown was pulling at the corners of her mouth while she chewed on her lower bottom lip and tapped her pencil irritably against the desk. Obviously, whatever she was reading was annoying her, and the girl didn't approve of it. "You can come out now, Sasuke-kun," Jerked out of his thoughts, Sasuke smirked and leapt through the window from the tree branch from which he had been star- observing her. Sakura swiveled around to face the Uchiha, who was watching her with fathomless onyx eyes with his signature pose. "I'm a medic; you should know by now that I have to know chakra very well in order to be one."

"Hn," he replied, and she sighed and turned back to work. Sasuke watched her, displeasure showing on his face. "It's late, Sakura."

"Yeah, I know," she answered, but didn't stop her scribbling on the paper. Sasuke's eyebrows met in the middle; she was blatantly ignoring him, and they both knew it. They both knew his intentions (he would never voice for her to come home aloud) and still she continued working.

"Fine," Sasuke grumbled, and turned around, fully intending to turn around and go home, but Sakura swiveled around at the last minute and clutched onto his hand, fingers wrapping delicately around his own, and the aloof shinobi repressed the shudder that was currently working its way up his spine.

"Please, just wait ten more minutes. Please, Sasuke-kun?"

He was ready to say no, that he would just meet her at home; but then, he turned around, and the scathing rebuke died on his lips before he could utter them. The natural light of the moon shone through the window, highlighting emerald eyes and making them shine as she begged him with her eyes. A tendril of hair had escaped her messy bun and was hanging in front of her face, and the candlelight flickered off of it, shadowing it to a darker shade of pink.

_Beautiful _a small part of his mind (probably the insane part) reminded him.

"Hn." Sasuke said finally, neither a yes nor a no, but he leaned against the wall. Sakura graced him with a bright smile and let go of his hand, turning back to the stack of work. Sasuke found that he missed the warmth, and to compensate for the loss, he stuck his hands in his pockets once more. True to her word, Sakura was done not too long after, and she blew out the candles, heading over to the door to her office. She glanced back, her heartbeat accelerating slightly at the sight of Sasuke watching her.

"Coming?"

He shrugged himself away from the wall and walked towards her, coming to stand beside the medic-nin. "Aa."

She smiled at him again, locking the door behind her as the two made their way down the dimly-lit hallway. "Ne, Sasuke-kun?" She glanced at the male out of the corner of her eye and he grunted to show he was listening. "How come you came by?"

Sasuke almost froze, but he managed to keep his stride, though it was more careful so that Sakura didn't know how her words had affected him. What he could he tell her? That the apartment now seemed so much emptier without her? That eating dinner without the girl who had become so interwoven in his life made him feel like something was gone? That as he lay in bed that night, he missed not having her in his arms?

Certainly not.

"If you overworked yourself and didn't come home, the dobe would be on my case." He said instead.

"Oh," Sakura said softly, and Sasuke could hear the sadness in it, and he mentally cursed at himself. He could never manage to make her happy, now could he?

He took an inward breath and slowly slid his hand into hers. Sakura almost gave herself whiplash, she turned her head so fast to her… what was he? What were they? Friends? Teammates? Something more? "Sasuke-kun…" She watched as the tips of his ears turned a healthy peach shade, then to a light hue of pale pink. He was…embarrassed? About what? Did he not want to hold her hand? And then, she got it: he was embarrassed because he thought that she wouldn't want to hold hands with him.

A small smile lit her features, and then she pulled her hand away from his, only to wrap her arms around his left one as she grinned up at the startled shinobi. His eyes softened at the happiness that reflected on her face and he allowed her cling to him for a couple of moments before slightly tugging away. She gave him a confused and slightly hurt look. "We'll have trouble walking." He explained, and she nodded before gripping his hand in hers, and that's how they walked home, hand-in-hand.

---

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura called as she washed the dishes. She had forbade him to towel dry them, and instead told him to go sit down on the couch. He had been about to snarl at Sakura to not tell him what do to, but the look on her face would've made Orochimaru run back to Oto with his tail between his legs, and so, the Uchiha hesitantly obeyed.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, his head tilted back so that it was cushioned against the couch. She walked out of their kitchen, a dish towel drying her hands as she stared at him. He raised his hand and looked back at her for a few moments before smirking at the female. "Why are you just standing there, idiot?" She scowled at him.

"Shut up, Sasuke-kun," she muttered, but threw the towel onto the table and walked over to the couch, sitting closely to him. "Anyway, Hinata-chan is pregnant…"

Sasuke eyed her warily. _Why was she getting closer…?_

"And she wanted to know…" Sakura continued, now pressing her pliant body against Sasuke's and tracing her finger idly across his shirt, and the Uchiha repressed a shudder, but only barely. "If we could be the godparents…" Her hands went slightly lower, more towards his stomach. Sasuke bit down the urge to arch into those hands. "So what do you say, Sasuke-kun?" Her fingernail scratched lightly against his hipbone and he jerked in shock.

"What?" He almost groaned, attempting to stop the thoughts running through his head as well as his body's yearning to do things that a typical-Sasuke wouldn't do.

"Be Naruto and Hinata-chan's baby's godfather?" Sakura whispered in his ear, her finger still teasing his hipbone.

He could barely even think with those sinful hands of hers. "Aa." He breathed out, and felt Sakura pressing a discreet smile into the side of his face before kissing his cheek and moving away.

"Okay, thanks Sasuke-kun!" She said cheerfully, heading into their bedroom.

Sasuke's mind was a whirl of jumbled thoughts (or rather, jumbled images and sounds that made a flush crawl up his neck) and he glanced down, only to let out a groan. Damned woman! Didn't even have the decency to finish what she started.

With a growl, the raven-haired male left the apartment, intent on training in order to forget about seductive emerald eyes and those pale, smooth hands.

---

Sasuke irritably kicked the dummy, frustration one of his main emotions. The stronger of them was anger, though. He was angry at himself for letting her do that. Honestly, he should know how to control his emotions (and male urges) by now. He couldn't believe he had allowed such a thing.

Stabbing a kunai into the wood one more time, he decided that it was time to head home, although he really didn't want to face Sakura. However, he was tired, and if he didn't go home then she'd be hurt.

His mind was warring with each other. One side demanded that he protect himself from her; she already knew too much, and there was still the chance that he would have to go back to his past, or that she could still die. The other argued that he should take advantage of what he had now, and didn't he deserve happiness as well?

Sighing, the Uchiha opened the door and then closed it. Sakura looked at him from her position on the couch and gave him a smile. He noticed her tense posture and frowned, staring at her from beside the door. "Hey, Sasuke-kun." She greeted, and his frown deepened, though he didn't think she noticed, because her gaze became focused on something in her hand.

"Hn. What's that?" He inquired, stepping closer so that some of the light shone on his face. He watched her swallow before she looked at him.

"Tsunade-shishou wanted to see me today, and she gave me these…" He stepped closer, glancing at the papers, and felt his heart stop.

**Jounin Application Forms:**

"No," he said, before he could stop himself. Sakura's mouth twisted downward.

"What? Why?"

He didn't answer her, too lost in his thoughts.

_"Sasuke," Sakura said, frowning. "Honestly, did you expect me to stay weak forever? Being a Jounin proves how much I've grown, and if you don't like it, then tough." Sasuke glared at her, but didn't answer. _

_A shock of pink flashed in his vision, and he turned his head, glancing at Sakura walking towards him with a slight smile on her face. "Hey, Sasuke," she greeted._

_"Hn. What's got you so happy?" The smile on her face grew._

_"Mission," she said simply, and it was then he noticed the Jounin vest. "I'll be back in two weeks. We'll do something, okay?" Sasuke nodded and watched her walk away. She didn't return in two weeks, it was a month, and they never were able to do anything, because Haruno Sakura was no more._

"Sasuke-kun!"

"What?!" Sasuke snapped, glaring at the girl. She shrunk back into the couch at his cold tone of voice before staring at him in anger.

"What the _hell_?! First you tell me that I can't even make OUT the Jounin application forms, and then you don't even answer me when I ask you why!"

The two glared at each other for a couple of moments, both furious.

"Why?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"Does it really matter? No, you're not going out for those Jounin exams." He replied, and her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Yes, it DOES matter, Sasuke." He watched her for a moment longer before jerking his head to the side.

"Tch, stop being so annoying, Sakura."

"How the hell am I being annoying?!"  
"Because you are. You are annoying, and you are weak. You'll never be able to become a Jounin like Naruto and I. You'd never be able to handle it. You would drag your team down, just like you dragged us down with your useless weight. You're a burden, only good for being a Healer and nothing more."

She stared at him in shock, mouth wide open. Angry tears sparkled in the back of her eyes and she bowed her head, hair covering her face.

"So…that's what you really think is it?"

_No. _"Yes. Stop being annoying and just stay with what you're good at. Stay at the Hospital, it's where you belong."

"No, where I belong is alone. Away from you." It was Sasuke's turn to stare at her. His mind was speeding; she was leaving him.

She got up, grabbing the papers with her and grabbing her coat from the back of the chair. "Goodbye, Sasuke." She whispered, her head still tilted to the floor as she began to walk towards the door.

_"You've been alone most of your life." Sakura said, and Sasuke glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. She gave him a sad smile back. "And after you left for Oto… I never felt more alone in my life." He felt his stomach lurch in guilt. He never meant to hurt her. "That's why I never want you to be alone again. You've lived through too many broken promises, and that's why I'll never leave you." She lied. Two months later she returned to Konoha, and sure he had Naruto, and Kakashi…but Sakura was gone. And she would never return._

_Don't leave me. Not again._

He wanted to reach out and grab her wrist, prevent her from walking out that door, walking out of his life once more. He never did like the sight of her back. However, his pride wouldn't allow him, because that would mean that…

_"I love you, Sasuke-kun." Sakura whispered, leaning up and kissing his cheek. "That will never change." _

He loved her too. That was something he couldn't admit to himself, not just yet.

Sakura paused in the doorway, waiting to hear those words that she craved so much. To tell her that he didn't mean it, never meant it, he was just trying to protect her. To hold her and murmur that he cared about her too much to allow her to get hurt.

But who was she fooling herself? This was still Sasuke, and the only one causing her pain was the one who caused it. He would never change. The female laughed to herself bitterly. She was such a fool for thinking that she could change him. It seemed like he really did care about her, but how wrong she was.

She wrenched open the door, tears sliding down her cheeks.

_Don't go._

_**Please stop me.**_

When nothing else happened, Sakura walked through and closed the door, the sound reverberating inside the empty room and the Uchiha's heart.

* * *

**A/N- Okay, so this is dedicated to honoring death, as promised. Hopefully since I updated, she'll update too. -hint hint-**

**Anyway, I am VERY sorry that I didn't update over spring break, but my comp was being all wacky (ignores inner voices that remind her that she spilled ramen on the keyboard and kicked her computer a lot) and I've been buried in homework. Plus, I'm really sick, and I have a game to go to now. Nice, huh? But I'm really pressed for time, since I've gotta leave in like ten minutes, which means I can't look back and read it to make sure I didn't make any mistakes. So if there are any, I apologize in advance. And, uhm, don't kill me for the ending! I had to! The lyrics from Bullet for my Valentine were kind of a foreshadowing to the end of this chapter. **

**Oh, and also, I have SasuSaku drabbles on my LiveJournal, if anyone wants to check those out. And Renalin and I have a conjoined account . The penname is Ren and Missa, and our first story is called The Eccentric Files. So far it's been a big hit, but review anyway, please? **

**Anyway, love all of you guys, you're awesome and so patient with me. Since I'm sick and am STILL going to my game, let me come home to some reviews, please? **


	17. Full Circle

**Warning- Spoilers for the recent manga chapters**

Chapter 12: Full Circle

Sasuke was awoken the next morning to the sound of a shrill ring in his ears. He turned over and buried his head farther into the pillow. "Sakura get the phone." He muttered, and when he felt no shifting of the bed he opened his eyes. There was no Sakura. A moment later, everything came to him, and he felt that same worry and guilt twisting at his stomach.

She was gone, and it was all his fault.

The last Uchiha got up and walked in a half-awake daze to the kitchen, fumbling with the phone. "Hello?" He asked crabbily. Well, he was tired; being up until three am waiting for your girlfriend can do that to a person.

"S-Sasuke-san?" A voice stuttered, one that the onyx-haired male immediately recognized, feeling relief flooding him. She was probably calling him because of Sakura, to tell him to come see her even if she didn't want to see him.

"Hinata."

"I-is Sakura-chan there?"

It felt like a fist had punched his stomach and was now turning it. If anything, Sasuke was sure that Sakura would have gone to Naruto's house, since he was her best friend as well as his.

_Calm down, she's probably at Ino's or something, _the sane part of his mind murmured soothingly.

"No, she's not." He said in that perfectly apathetic tone of his that he had perfected over the years of being alone.

"Okay, well, u-uhm, can you tell her to call me? Please?" Hinata's voice, always so breathy and low, now just sounded plain nervous.

_"Be Naruto and Hinata-chan's baby's godfather?" Sakura whispered in his ear, her finger still teasing his hipbone._

_So that's why. She probably hasn't told the dobe yet, _he mused, ignoring the twinge he felt when he thought of the pink-haired medic and everything that had transpired last night.

"Sure." Sasuke told her, and she murmured a thanks before saying goodbye and hanging up. He sighed and ran an agitated hand through his hair.

He hadn't meant what he had told her last night. Of course there were times where she was annoying, but he didn't think of her as weak. He had gotten as close to panic as he had ever gotten at the sight of the Jounin application form. He was essentially a selfish person, and he believed that if he didn't allow her to become a Jounin then she wouldn't die.

A knock sounded upon the door, and Sasuke turned his head to it, a smirk crawling on his face as he went to go open the door. "Sa-"

But it wasn't Sakura; it was a Chuunin who was staring at him. "Godaime-sama wants you in her office." Sasuke slid his hands into his pockets and nodded.

"Hn," he muttered, and the Chuunin paused, unsure if he was being dismissed or not. However, the venomous look the last Uchiha shot him was a clear death wish should he say, and so, the younger man turned and ran, and fast. NO ONE would be sane enough to mess with the Uchiha, especially when he was mad.

Sasuke sighed and ran a ragged hand through his hair.

"Sakura, where are you?" He muttered to himself before disappearing to Tsunade-sama's office.

He knocked on the door and after a couple of minutes a loud voice boomed at him to enter. There in her chair sat the hazel-eyed Hokage, surrounded by a mountain of paperwork and looking exhausted.

Sasuke dismissed this and inclined his head. "Tsunade-sama," he greeted.

"Uchiha. Do you know why I called you to my office?"

"Sakura." Was his guess, and the Hokage shook her head. "Then do you know where she is?"

"That's not why I called you."

She was avoiding the question, and he scowled. "Then why DID you summon for me?" She raised an eyebrow at his snappish tone but didn't comment on it, surprisingly. Tsunade then opened her mouth but the door opened before any words could come out.

"Hey, Tsunade-baa-chan, you called?" Tsunade sighed and started rubbing her temples, and Sasuke scowled.

"Dobe." He greeted, and the blond turned his eyes to the other male.

"Hey teme, what're you doing here?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and was about to retort but the Godaime beat him to it.

"I called the both of you here for a B-rank mission." Naruto perked up and Sasuke watched in slight interest. "It's in the Mist country, and the mission is to retrieve a scroll."

"How long will this mission take?" Sasuke asked.

"With the two of you? Hmm, I'd say maybe a week." Sasuke and Naruto nodded. "You two leave tomorrow morning promptly at five am. Dismissed." Sasuke inclined his head and Naruto merely left, but the Uchiha found him waiting in the hallway.

Maybe it was the lighting but Sasuke bet that Naruto was pissed, what with the way he was looking at him. "Sasuke, where's Sakura-chan?"

So he was right. Naruto knew about the fight. Maybe from Hinata, but he didn't think so. When it came down to it, Naruto saw a lot of things that other people didn't.

"Why do you want to know?" Sasuke asked, walking away, and Naruto followed him.

"Because she'll want to know you're on this mission." Naruto said, and Sasuke's steps never faltered. "Goddammit Sasuke, answer me!"

"You want to know?" Sasuke hissed, turning around, his black irises snapping with anger. "Well, I _don't _know where she is, okay dobe? I don't know and I don't care."

Naruto stared at him for a moment. "Yes, you do." He said softly. "You do care where Sakura-chan is because, somewhere deep, down inside of you, you love her."

Something cold gripped his part, because of how true the words were. It was times like this that Sasuke remembered just how _much _Naruto and Sakura knew about him. It was the same reasoning that had caused Sasuke to be mad at Sakura for no reason, and played a good part into their fight. At the moment, Sasuke felt a billion years older then eighteen.

There was no use denying the truth, and so, Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away. This time, Naruto let him.

---

The next morning Naruto greeted him by giving him a slight nod, obviously too tired to do much else. Sasuke didn't blame him; he was tired too, though probably for a different reason.

He had been up half the night, thinking about what Naruto had said and, of course, Sakura. He had been wrong to say such things to her, and he knew it. Had known it the minute the words had escaped from his mouth; knew it the minute he saw her flinch, her face scrunch with the pain of his words.

It didn't take the two very long to get to Mist, and they retrieved the scroll with barely any problems, since they were both excellent shinobi, though having Sasuke admit to saying that about Naruto would be the equivalent of pulling teeth.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Naruto asked as they sat around a fire, stopped for the night.

"Hn."

When Naruto didn't answer right away, Sasuke glanced at his best friend, only to find him gazing at the fire seriously. For a moment he thought the blond would bring up the conversation from four days ago.

"Hinata-chan is pregnant." He said solemnly, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow in surprise. Where was the Naruto he was used to? Normally the idiot would be ecstatic over his wife being pregnant, but what was with this? Did Naruto not want this baby?

_Don't be stupid _he told himself right after that thought crossed his mind.

"Aa. I know." Naruto didn't say anything else for five more minutes, but Sasuke knew that he would eventually.

Finally, he did, but it wasn't what Sasuke expected. "I'm not ready to be a father."

"What the hell are you on about, Naruto?" Beneath his scowl, Sasuke was confused, a feeling he didn't like too much.

"Look at me, teme," Naruto laughed hollowly, "I've never known my parents. I can barely keep track of myself. I wouldn't make a good father; I wouldn't know what to do."

Sasuke swallowed and didn't reply. After all, he had had a father, if only briefly. And while he had always been closer to his mother, his father had _still _been there. Naruto had never had that. No wonder he was so melancholic about having children. Plus, the blond was only seventeen (though it was closing in on his birthday) and even though the shinobi who married and had kids did so when they were young, Naruto was different. Those people had parents to compare to, whilst Naruto didn't. The only thing he could probably think of was Iruka, and who knew how often the azure-eyed boy had seen him when he was young.

"Listen to me, dobe, and I will only say this once," Sasuke said lowly.

He was going to shelve a good portion of his pride for this, but Naruto had done more for him then he knew. The look Naruto had had on when he spoke of being a father reminded him of the defeated look he had worn when Sakura died, and Naruto was made to be happy. Sasuke had failed over and over again in his past; he had no intention of making the same mistakes once more.

"Konohamaru looks up to you, does he not?" Naruto nodded slowly. "You basically are like his father. You…" Sasuke struggled to say what was on his mind without sounded completely stupid. "You affect a lot of people. In a good way. You teach them things. And you aren't…alone… in this parenting thing. You've got friends."

Naruto stared at Sasuke before smiling. It wasn't a wide grin, but a grateful smile.

Suddenly, the Uchiha found himself tackled into a hug by his best friend.

"ARGH, DOBE, GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU HOMO!"

* * *

After giving Tsunade-sama the scroll and reporting how the mission went, both males parted ways, each one going to their respective houses. There was one major difference though: Hinata was home waiting for Naruto, and Sasuke had no idea what had happened to Sakura. He was surprised that Naruto hadn't said anything else about Sasuke and Sakura's fight, but perhaps his idiotic best friend hadn't had anything more to add.

Sasuke walked to his door, then frowned as he neared it before opening it carefully when he recognized the chakra signature. He looked around warily, expecting a shoe or something to be thrown at him, but there was nothing. Sasuke stepped fully inside and closed the door gently, locking it behind him so that he had a chance before looking to his right.

He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Sakura was fast asleep on the couch. He moved closer, and a frown marred his face as he stood above her and observed her. She was wearing one of his shirts and his boxers, her small hand loosely holding on to a picture that, when Sasuke craned his head, proved to be one of Team Seven's. As if that wasn't an image that made his heart do this funny squeeze-y thing, the final nail in the coffin was the tear tracks on her cheeks.

Of course he had made her cry. This was nothing new, but it still hurt him in ways that a katana through the stomach would never be able to.

Almost as if she sensed his presence, Sakura shifted and nuzzled more into the couch armrest, a restless movement that proved she was close to waking. And how Sasuke wanted her to. He was tired of fighting her, tired of fighting over how he felt for her. At the risk of sounding like Shikamaru, it was too troublesome. So, he wasn't even going to bother with it. Perhaps he'd never tell her he loved her, whisper sweet nothings in her ear, but Sakura knew this. She knew that simply by kissing her, he was trying to tell her what words would never be able to describe, because a mere three words would never fully express his feelings. And after all, weren't actions louder than words?

Sasuke stared down and watched as mint green eyes fluttered open, her gaze traveling up the length of his pants before settling on his face. No words were spoken until Sakura sat up, and Sasuke pushed her back down gently. "We need to talk."

He watched her flinch at that, because those were the words one said when they were going to break up with their significant other. Sasuke sighed and motioned for her to move over, and Sakura complied, sitting up and moving farther down the couch for him to sit down.

"Do you remember the day at the hospital?" Sakura stared at him for a moment before recognition alit her eyes.

"Yeah," she said, voice hoarse from her nap.

"Do you remember you asking me why I had been nice to you?" Sakura nodded, and Sasuke took a deep breath. _Apparently, this is the week of confessing things _he mused inwardly.

"Sakura, do you trust me?" Suddenly, it seemed imperative that she did, because otherwise their relationship would never work and she wouldn't believe him.

Noting the seriousness of his gaze, Sakura knew that she was about to learn the reason of their fight. At the time it had seemed as if he didn't care about her, but she knew he did, more than he admitted. Sakura loved him; she would do anything for him. And it wasn't very often that Sasuke talked, nevermind about something personal. Slipping her smaller hand into his, she looked him right in the eyes. "Of course I do, Sasuke-kun." She tilted her head to look at him better. "What's going on?"

Sasuke sighed. "You'll think me crazy for this, but I'm not joking." Sakura knew that; Sasuke barely _ever _kidded around. "I'm not…from this time." He said slowly, and the pink-haired medic stiffened slightly but said nothing. "When I was twenty-two, there was…an accident."

"An accident?" Sakura echoed, feeling foreboding in her gut. Sasuke nodded.

"Someone very close to me died." The breath was knocked out of her and she brought a hand up to her mouth, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"Naruto?" Was her first guess, but the Uchiha shook his head. "Kakashi-sensei?"

"You." Sasuke said softly, and ice settled in the pit of Sakura's stomach.

"…me?" Her boyfriend nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

"Let me start at the beginning." Sakura nodded and waited. "Please don't interrupt me for anything I tell you."

"Okay." She whispered.

"When I was twelve, I left for Orochimaru." He glanced at her quickly, and Sakura had her mouth open but no words coming out. "Remember what I told you." She nodded meekly, and he continued. "It was…hard. I'm not going to deny that. I saw you guys once more when I was fifteen, but that wasn't a happy encounter. Later on, I killed Orochimaru and went off in search of Itachi.

"I gained three new teammates. Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu. You and Naruto had also acquired a new teammate by the name of Sai." He paused, wondering how much he should tell her. "Obviously, I killed Itachi when I was eighteen. Juugo, Suigetsu, Karin, and I all split up and soon afterwards I returned back to Konoha."

Sasuke looked at Sakura to gauge her reaction, and she had her head bowed, her fingers clutching at her knees and leave red indents. He hadn't even realized that she had released his hand.

"When I came back, I was put on trial and probation for a year and nothing above a C rank mission for another year. And everything, of course, wasn't the same."

"How?" Sakura murmured, closing her eyes.

"Everything was different, what else do you want me to say? That you only called me Sasuke, that Naruto and I weren't as close as we are now, that people no longer trusted me? That all happened, Sakura. That's how it was different. We were all stronger but so much weaker."

Sakura understood what he had said and expelled a breath. "Continue." She said.

"You were a Jounin, Naruto was the Hokage, and I was Head ANBU captain. But that's how you died. You were on a Jounin mission, one that was fairly simple and only supposed to take two weeks." He could feel Sakura's horrified gaze on him but he didn't comment on it. "They brought your body back a month later." He finished bitterly. "I don't…" He stopped, and decided that he had already come too far to not owe her this. "Naruto…it was like he had died inside. And Kakashi was early to your funeral. Packing up your belongings was the hardest thing we've ever done."

An image flashed into his mind, one of him sitting on her bed and packing up her shirts, enveloped in her scent, one that would fade with time.

_She is just like her name sake. _

"I was sent somehow to my past, probably to change things, and that's what I'm doing right now."

Or at least, that's what he was trying to do. However, he believed in her, and knew that these next words could screw up everything. But if she trusted him, then he would trust her. That was the one thing that hadn't changed in their relationship, past or present.

"That's why I didn't want you to become a Jounin. To have to experience that again…" Against his will, a tremor wracked his body. Sakura reached over and covered her hand over his, her thumb brushing his knuckles, a silent gesture of comfort. "But I'll let you take the Jounin exams."

Sakura decided to ignore how he made it sound as if she needed his _permission _to take them and just focus on those words and making him feel better. She crawled into his lap and hugged him, burying her nose into the crook of his shoulder. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She whispered. Sasuke was too preoccupied to hug her back.

"Just do one thing for me." Sakura pulled back.

"What?" She asked, her eyes searching his. _He's probably going to tell me to not get hurt._

"Marry me."

* * *

**A/N- Yeah, you all are probably planning my death now, aren't you? Another cliffhanger, grar. And I won't be able to update until after the finals, since I REALLY DO need to study for those. Thank you to all those who wished for me to feel better! School is almost over and so are my softball games, which means I'll have more time for writing, hooray. Anyway, you guys can thank Renalin, who helped me when I was slamming my face against my computer desk and needed ideas. **

**Oh, and I now have over four hundred reviews. 402, to be exact. Many, MANY thanks to all those who have made that possible, and a big shoutout to irrationalism, who WAS my 400****th**** reviewer. Love you, Ailey! So, if you review I'll give you… uhm… pretzels. Yum.**


	18. Memories

Chapter 18: Memories

Sakura stared at Sasuke seriously, her jaw opened with an incredulous expression on her face. If Sasuke had not been Sasuke, she would've thought he was joking, but she knew this was no joke. And he really wanted her to be his wife.

_He wanted her to be his wife._

Tears spilled unbidden from her jade eyes and she threw herself into the Uchiha, her lips landing on his. "Yes. Oh Kami, yes yes yes. Yes a million times." Sasuke gave her a smirk, an easygoing one that lifted the corner of his lips that anyone else would've mistaken as a smirk but Sakura knew that it was a repressed smile. He kissed her back, his hand burying itself into her pink locks as his lips searched her own. "Mmm, Sasuke-kun," she murmured, and he picked her up and seated her back onto the couch, causing her to pout. However, she gasped when he bent down on one knee and brought forth a velvet box, opening it as he did so.

A huge princess-cut diamond was seated in the middle, the dim light causing it to sparkle, and on each side were two Uchiha fans, the top half a red-diamond and the bottom half of the fan a normal diamond. _'Figures that he'd have enough money to be able to get a red diamond, something that is extremely rare.' _She thought disjointedly, noticing that her hand shook as Sasuke slipped the ring onto her fourth finger. She gave him a watery smile and wiped her face with the back of her hand.

Sakura felt his calloused thumb brush the arch of her cheekbone and she nuzzled her face into his hand. "Sasuke-kun," she whispered as she focused her gaze on him. Midnight eyes bored into her own viridian ones, and for a moment she had to re-teach herself how to breathe properly. "Can you tell me about your past? The one that I…died in."

Sasuke averted his eyes before he sighed. "What more do you want to know, Sakura."

"Do you regret leaving us for Orochimaru?"

The male Uchiha frowned, thinking. In a way, he didn't, because it made him so much stronger then he was now, but…

_"Sasuke-teme, things aren't the same as they were before," Naruto murmured seriously, almost glaring at his best friend._

_"Hn. Whatever, dobe." Sasuke, obviously, didn't believe him. But he did when Naruto and Kakashi came to visit him in the hospital, but it was Sakura who hadn't, but she was ordered by Tsunade to give him his final check-up before he was able to leave the hospital for good._

_The entire time she hadn't spoken a word to him._

"Yes." Sasuke said finally, and Sakura expelled a breath she hadn't known she had been holding and nodded.

"Okay," she whispered, reaching over and grabbing his hand, giving him a smile in the midst of it. His finger ran over the ring that was now nestled on her ring finger, that same smirk/smile returning to his face. "You do realize that we'll have to ask Hinata-chan and Naruto to help us plan the wedding, right?" Sasuke scowled at the mention of having to ask _Naruto _to help plan _their _wedding, but otherwise didn't object, and Sakura smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "Are you hungry?"

"Aa." Sasuke confirmed, and Sakura smiled again, letting go of his hand and heading into their kitchen. The dark-haired male watched her with equally dark eyes, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts as the memories Sakura had unwittingly brought up dragged him through a rough and dark memory lane.

"You couldn't expect us to not change, Sasuke," Sakura's voice was cold, a tone that she had never used with him before, and it inwardly shocked Sasuke. Outwardly, however, he was his usual apathetic self. When he didn't say anything to her statement she rolled her eyes and walked away. Sasuke found that he didn't like the sight of her back very much.

* * *

_A soft laugh reached his ears and Sasuke turned his head, recognizing the sound of Sakura laughing. It was no longer the one she used to have-- that one had been innocent and pure-- but it still sounded similar. His gut clenched painfully as he watched the man next to Sakura say something else and she smiled at him. _

* * *

"I still care for you, Sasuke," Sakura admitted lowly, paying no heed to the rain falling onto her, wetting her hair and obscuring her vision, " a lot more than I should." Her gaze locked with his. Sakura's eyes had always been clear, expressive, and he could see the underlying sadness in them. "But I'm not up to getting my heart broken by you again. You hurt me bad enough the first time and didn't care. So why should I give you the chance to do it again?" She didn't give **him** a chance to reply and walked away from him, shoulders sagging in a defeated gesture.

* * *

"Welcome back, Sasuke," The pink-haired girl whispered harshly, gripping the clipboard unnecessarily tight. However, Sasuke paid no heed to the way the words were uttered-- all he seemed to notice was the lack of the usual suffix on his name, and coming from Sakura's mouth, it sounded weird. He was startled at how much he wanted her to call him Sasuke-kun again.

* * *

"_Sakura," Sasuke said lowly, and the female turned to look at him questioningly. His throat seemed clogged with the words he couldn't say, words that he knew she deserved but he was __**Uchiha Sasuke**__, seemingly incapable of emotions, never mind caring, love, or something so simple as happiness. Perhaps in another time, in another place, he could've given in to the latter with the woman in front of him, but there was too much at stake, too many memories that haunted him, too much blood on his hands. Sakura deserved someone better, someone who would be able to express the love they felt for her. Perhaps Naruto. He could protect her better than Sasuke could, just as he had when they were genin. But who would protect her on the Jounin missions, the ones that she was now permitted to go to since she passed the exams? __**No one**__ came the chilling conclusion. "Be careful." And he walked away._

"Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke's eyes snapped to Sakura, who was holding a plate of something. "Are you alright?"

_No_ whispered a tiny voice in the back of his head, but Sasuke promptly squashed that voice. There was no need to worry Sakura over something she could not control.

"Aa." He said, and she still looked concerned and unbelieving but allowed it to slide as she put the plate on the table, and he looked down only to find cut up tomatoes in front of him.

"It's late," she explained. "And I don't want you eating too much before bed. It gives you funny dreams." She didn't elaborate on the funny dreams and Sasuke didn't want to ask; he merely reached down and grabbed one of the slices of tomato, putting it into his mouth and enjoying the tangy bitterness. Sakura watched him eat with a small smile on her face, and he raised an eyebrow, but the girl merely shrugged. He finally finished and then glanced at the clock, noting the lateness that Sakura had mentioned before.

"Ready?" Sasuke asked, and she nodded, getting up and taking the plate and walking into the kitchen once more. The sound of running water greeted his ears, and he listened to the _clink _sound as she washed the dishes before bed. He imagined her ten years from now, doing the same thing as a little dark-haired boy watched her, seated on the counter. He bit back the smirk that threatened to disrupt his perfectly blank face and the water stopped, Sakura emerging from the room, drying her hands.

Wordlessly, the two walked to their room and Sasuke removed his shirt as she walked into their bathroom, and he waited patiently for her. She came out smelling of mint, no doubt having brushed her teeth, and he did the same. They both laid down on the bed, and after a moment Sakura snuggled into him, his shoulders caving around her as she brushed her forehead against his shirt and listened to his heartbeat. One arm wrapped around her waist and the other rested itself against her hair. "Good night, Sasuke-kun." She whispered.

"Aa." He replied back, and she smiled softly, knowing that that was the best answer she'd ever get from him, and in the darkness, they fell asleep.

"_Sasuke?" Said man turned his head toward the pink-haired female, who was chewing on her bottom lip in a gesture of anxiousness. _

"_Hn." He muttered, watching as she looked at him for a moment, her eyes searching his, perhaps for something she knew she'd never find, but Sasuke had long ago learned to stop showing what he felt through his eyes. Sakura could tell what he was thinking that way, and after years of isolation, he didn't like it._

"_Was going to Orochimaru worth it?" He felt his shoulders stiffen in surprise. Why was she asking him this? Didn't she say that she had never cared? _

_He thought of the base in Sound where he had gotten power, where he had learned new jutsu's… where most of the nightmares consisted, not of Itachi and the massacre of his clan, but of Team Seven, and all that had happened between them. He was more sorry than they would ever know, but that was the entire point. They would never know, and he intended to keep it that way. _

_He had once heard that dreaming was a way of telling you what you wanted, and telling them that he dreamt of them while in Sound meant that he had missed them, that he had thought of them more than he should have, and that he actually cared for them. Seeing them again, after two years, had affected him, just not outwardly. _

_If he looked down, down deep and admitted it, it was because he didn't want his darkness to taint his two teammates, his two __**friends**__, who had smiles that could outshine the sun and a faith in him that almost bordered on fool hearted. _

_It was better off this way._

"_Yes," he said, just so that she knew, and Sakura's teeth bit into her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood and a hurt expression crossed her face before she made it just as blank as his._

_"I see," she said coldly, and turned away from the Uchiha avenger._

_**No, you don't.**_

_The scene changed. Sasuke was walking towards a white building, and the night around him seemed to grow darker as time passed. He walked towards the doors almost impatiently, but just then they opened. He slowed down and waited for the girl to notice him. She was rummaging around in her bag for something, but she glanced up when she sensed his chakra, and he noticed her hand still in the bag; she was probably gripping a kunai._

"_Sakura." He said, and she visibly softened._

"_Sasuke? What are you doing out here?" She glanced at the watch on her wrist. "It's close to two am." _

_Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets, an unconscious gesture. "The dobe sent me to come get you. Said something about how he didn't want you to walk home alone at this time of night." He watched viridian eyes roll._

"_That Naruto," she said, but it was with a soft smile. "Alright, well, I'm a big girl, Sasuke. I can find my own apartment." _

_The Uchiha watched her carefully for a moment as she neared closer to him, no doubt serious about walking herself home._

"_I'm already here." He told her, and she raised a pink eyebrow at him before smiling._

"_Well, alright." She conceded, and didn't say anything more. The sky around them was darker than ink, but the moon highlighted their way, and he saw Sakura give a glance at the bench that they passed. For a moment his mind drew a blank, and then, like pieces to a puzzle, everything fit._

_A night just like this one, so many years ago. That same bench. It was where he had lain the pink-haired female after she had declared her love for him and he had dismissed it with a "Thank you."_

_Indeed, Sakura's shoulders could cut glass they were so straight forward and stiff. This was, quite obviously, not a happy place for her. _

_Something stirred in Sasuke's stomach, something that hurt him. An emotion that he didn't want to feel. It was guilt. _

_It was almost with relief that they made it to Sakura's apartment, and she began to look through her bag once more, no doubt for her keys. She hadn't said one word to him throughout the entire walk, and despite himself, Sasuke had found the silence disturbing. Not when he was with her. Silence was… unnatural._

"_Well, thank you for walking me, Sasuke." She said, and turned with a smile. It was fake. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the sight of it but said nothing. Her smile dimmed, and she seemed to slump as she turned to face her door._

_Perhaps it was the atmosphere, but Sasuke felt like he owed her something. Maybe he could never make her truly happy, could never make her laugh loudly at some stupid joke the way Naruto could, but he could protect her, just as he has always done. It was all that he had left to give to the pink-haired female to whom had, once upon a time, loved him. Maybe she still did, but he knew he would never have the chance to know. He would never __**give **__himself the chance to know._

"_Sakura," she turned at the sound of her name and regarded him with dark green eyes. He found he didn't like the color on her. The darker her eyes the more sad she was. "What time do you get out of work tomorrow."_

_Her nose scrunched up in thought. "Midnight," she said finally. "Why?"_

"_Hn." Sasuke muttered and stuck his hands back into his pockets. "I'll see you tomorrow night." Not expecting an answer (and nor wanting to hear one) he turned around and started walking back towards his own apartment, from which he had been roused a half-hour ago by a screaming blond idiot._

_He didn't see the bright smile that crossed Sakura's face._

_The scene changed again, and this time Sasuke was standing in front of Konoha's gates._

_A foreboding feeling rushed through his veins, but he impatiently pushed them away. He would not allow Naruto's stupid worry to affect him, and so help him if Kakashi didn't stop commenting on the fact he was twitching then that man would find himself loosing another eye._

"_Sasuke," Naruto's oddly somber voice cut through his images of what he was going to do to their former sensei if he didn't stop smirking, "do you think Sakura-chan's okay?" _

_Sasuke sighed. "Sakura is a big girl, Naruto." He told the other male, his voice laced with impatience. "She'll be fine." But still the shinobi didn't look certain, and Sasuke himself was starting to get a little anxious._

_**It's been three weeks, what the hell could be taking her so long?**_

_They were soon about to find out._

_Hunter-nins came walking through the gates, and they were carrying something wrapped in white, but the blood was staining the sheet._

_**Oh Kami, please let that just be an animal, **__Sasuke found himself thinking, but the nins stopped at where the three boys were waiting._

"_I'm sorry," one of them said, and they shifted the sheet a little bit._

_The pink hair was unmistakable._

"Sasuke-kun? Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke awoke to Sakura shaking him. Only… her hands were on his shoulders. Not moving his body. _He _was doing the shaking. "Are you alright? You kept on saying my name in your sleep." Almost absentmindedly, she pushed back the hair from his face and Sasuke exhaled rather sharply and she kept her hand on his cheek, sensing that he might need the warmth.

"I dreamt of my past." He said simply, and the female stared at him for a moment before it clicked, and her thumb gently traced his cheekbone.

"Of me dying?" She inquired softly, and he nodded. She sighed before laying back down and holding him.

Sasuke knew exactly what had caused the dreams: talking to Sakura about what had happened in his past and allowing her to become a Jounin. He almost wanted to tell her now that she couldn't even take the exam but held it back. He was not her father; he couldn't tell her what to do. Besides, who was he to be selfish? He could handle a couple nightmares.

Hadn't he wished for her happiness on his birthday two years ago? He had. So who was he to now try and take it away from her?

"I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, Sasuke-kun." Sakura murmured, leaning up and brushing her lips gently against his, but Sasuke wasn't having any of that. He kissed her harder, biting on her lower lip and she whimpered inside of his mouth, allowing his tongue to dart into her own. He moved slightly and put pressure on his arm, so that he was now hovering above her.

Sakura reached up and tangled her fingers into his ebony locks, playing with the small strands on the nape of his neck and running her hands through the hair. Her nails scraped his scalp and Sasuke, who had been trailing butterfly kisses down her neck, bit into it. Sakura jerked and a moan escaped her lips.

"Sasuke-kun," she whimpered breathlessly, and Sasuke pulled back, but not before kissing her gently. Sakura stared up at him, face flushed. He smirked and rolled over onto his side, and she nestled herself once more into his arms.

She smelled like cinnamon and some other spice that he couldn't name but smelled good. On her, at least.

"_I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, Sasuke-kun." _

_You weren't the last time, either._

That thought rang true in his mind but he pushed it away, trying, for once, to make himself happy. He had proposed to Sakura, hadn't he? And she… she made him happy. Happier than he thought he would ever be again. Unconsciously, his arms tightened around her and she snuggled into the warmth of his body, a happy sigh escaping her lips. He buried his nose into her soft hair and closed his eyes.

They were both tired; it had been a long, exhausting day. Sasuke was in that hazy line between sleep and awake when he heard her say it, and when she did, he smiled against Sakura's head as she fell asleep. Shortly after, he followed.

_"I love you, Sasuke-kun."_

* * *

**A/N- I know, I said I wouldn't update until after finals, but I thought you guys deserved it. Since I got 57 reviews for the last chapter. Excuse me while I pass out in sheer joy.**

**Finals aren't over yet (I've still got tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday) but I'm pretty close. All I really need to study for is World History, and perhaps English, but that's it. Finished with Biology and Italian, thank you God. Algebra was a freaking piece of cake, and tomorrow is Chorus. Not hard AT ALL. But anyway, you guys should be thankful; I was late for school today because I was writing this chapter. Only 10 minutes late for the Algebra final, but Selvaggio likes me, so it's cool. Oh, and this chapter is borderline filler; sorry about that you guys. Next chapter I promise will involve some ShikaIno, NaruHina, and the ever-lovable NejiTen.**

**Sooo… because you guys have spoiled me, I'm praying to reach 500 with this chapter. Pretty please? Review and… uhm, I'll give you my Team Seven t-shirt!**


	19. Forever

Chapter 19: Forever

**Dedicated to: the most AMAZING nee-chan on the face of this planet, Inulover4eva. Her 19****th**** birthday was this Sunday and I WANTED to update on her birthday but couldn't. Therefore, this is my belated birthday present. Love you nee-chan!**

Sakura fiddled through the white dresses with trembling hands, though she tried her hardest to stop them. "Sakura." Ino called, and the pink-haired female turned her head towards the blond, raising an eyebrow in questioning. In reply, Ino smirked and bent her finger, gesturing Sakura to come towards her. With a sigh, the medic-nin complied. "Go try these on!" Sakura was almost killed under a pile of dresses.

_It's almost like being buried under an avalanche _she mused dryly, but decided to humor to her best friends wishes and headed into one of the changing rooms.

When she came out, there was a dark scowl on her face. "You know, Ino-pig," she grumbled as she struggled to actually _make it _through the small changing room, "if I had WANTED to look like a fucking wedding cake, then I would've asked for it." She looked down in disgust all the numerous ruffles that lined the dress, and Ino somehow managed to cup her mouth and disguise her laughter as coughing, though Sakura narrowed her bottle-green eyes at her because she knew.

"I'm sorry, Forehead," Ino apologized, though the grin on her face countered her supposedly sincere words, "but it was just too good to pass up." Sakura rolled her eyes and sidled into the changing room sideways, sucking it in in order to actually manage to get through properly without being stuck due to The Doom Dress.

She tried on another one, one that, thankfully, had no ruffles, but this one was sleek and…_shiny_. TOO shiny. Moreover, it wasn't even white; it was more of a creamy color. Sakura wrinkled her nose as she glanced critically at herself in the mirror. "I dunno…" she said reluctantly, and Ino clucked her tongue in impatience.

"Really, Sakura," she chided, "you look _fantastic _in that dress. Sasuke-kun will most DEFINITELY be blown away." Well, the blue-eyed girl was right about that; Sasuke wouldn't have any complaint about the dress. However, it was _Sakura _who didn't like it. Not for her wedding, anyway.

The thought brought a smile to her lips, and unconsciously she twisted the ring on her left hand. When she had been little, it had been her dream to marry her "precious" Sasuke-kun. However, that was before everything; before, she had merely liked him because he was Uchiha Sasuke, Konoha's heartthrob, and with good reason. There was also the bonus of him being a genius, second to her. Eventually, though, she began to see the thorn beneath the rose, and it only made her love him more for it. Every flaw he had made him more human to her, and now she knew that it was his faults that made him perfect…to her, and for her, at least.

"Sakura!" Guiltily the roseate-haired female turned to face her irate best friend, who stood there tapping her foot irritably against the polished floor. Sighing, Ino bit her lip, but Sakura could still see the smile that threatened to show. "I suppose I should give you a break, since you ARE marrying Sasuke-kun. You're allowed a little daydreaming." Sakura laughed and headed back to the changing room.

"Hey Ino, do you realize _why _I picked you to come help me find a wedding dress?"

"Because of my fantastic fashion sense?"

Over the door, Sakura made a face at her friend. "Hardly," she scoffed.

Ino pulled back a piece of blond hair from her face, glaring at the girl behind the door. "Well then, what is it?"

"So that we know which store to go to when Shikamaru proposes."

_"SAKURA!"_

---

Sakura slumped down wearily onto the couch, kicking off her shoes and rubbing her poor, abused feet.

Twelve dresses. That's how many dresses she had tried on before finding one that had blown even _Ino _away. Sakura smiled in content; that was one thing she had knocked down. Now there was only about a million and one other things to do.

Yawning, Sakura laid down on the soft couch, nuzzling her head into the pillow that was built into it and wishing, not for the first time, that Sasuke was there to hold her. She smiled faintly and burrowed her head further, but couldn't detect his signature scent.

_Mmm, this couch is so comfortable…_ warily, Sakura drifted to sleep.

---

Sasuke opened the door, not noticing any lights and therefore wondering where Sakura was. _Can she still be shopping…? _That theory was at once thrown out the window when he noticed the pink locks on the end of the couch. His mouth twitched and he quietly closed the door, making his way lightly over to the konoichi. He climbed over her and lay next to her on his side, placing an arm around her waist. At the pressure, she opened her eyes, which locked with his own.

"Hey," she whispered, her voice hoarse with sleep.

"Hey yourself," he murmured back, and she gave him a faint smile before rolling onto her side and nuzzling herself into his shoulder, inhaling deeply. He quirked an eyebrow in amusement but let it go. "You hungry?"

"No." she grumbled. "Sleep. Vital. Must… sleep." And so she did. He chuckled and decided to make himself more comfortable; after all, it seemed as if he wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. He himself had been dragged to Ichiraku by Naruto and was full of ramen, but he didn't know if the girls ate. Oh well; he could worry about that later. The calming waves of sleep claimed him, and Sasuke laid his cheek on top of Sakura's head and fell asleep.

_Mmm… where the hell did my warmth go? _Sakura thought in irritation. There was a blanket around her, but no Sasuke. Yawning, Sakura sat up and stretched, pushing the blankets off her and padding softly into the kitchen. Sasuke was there, rolling something between his hands. Sakura chuckled softly, and the raven-haired male turned to face her.

"I see you're awake," he said, and Sakura shook her head.

"No, I'm not." She replied sarcastically, and her fiancée raised an eyebrow in amusement before going back to making breakfast. Sakura walked towards him and laid her head on his shoulder, which was where she came up to height-wise. "So why are we eating rice balls for breakfast?"

Sasuke scowled but didn't answer, and then Sakura burst out into a fit of giggles. "Sa-Sasuke-kun… you can't make anything else, can you?" His scowl darkened and he pressed harder into the rice ball. She giggled again and then leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek. "That's okay, because I bet you make the best rice balls, since you're amazing at everything else."

Sasuke smirked and Sakura walked out of the kitchen and into their bedroom. She changed quickly out of the attire that she had worn yesterday and put on a pair of shorts and t-shirt, since Tsunade had given her two days off to get her wedding dress. **(A/N-- Alright, since I did Naruto and Hinata's wedding the western way, I'll just stick with the flow. Sorry, folks. The next multi-chaptered story I write I'll make it a proper Japanese wedding, promise.)**

She headed back to the kitchen, and found two plates of hot, steamy rice balls. Sakura practically foamed at the mouth, having just realized how hungry she was. After all, she hadn't eaten since earlier yesterday, and had gone without food for an insane amount of time. "Itadakimasu." She exclaimed gleefully, and began to eat, unaware of a smirking Uchiha leaning against the doorway, watching her.

"It's good, right?" The pink-haired nodded her head vigorously and continued to eat. Sasuke walked to the air across from her and he himself began to eat. "So what're you gonna do today?"

Sakura looked up at him in surprise, an eyebrow lifted, and Sasuke chuckled when he saw bits of rice clinging to the corner of her lips. He leaned over and brushed it away, and Sakura's eyebrow was in danger of colliding with her hairline. "You had rice on your face, idiot." He explained, and watched as her cheeks flushed.

"Oh," she mumbled, and then laughed. "Well, uhm, I dunno. I was thinking of maybe going shopping again later."

"For the wedding?" Sasuke asked, and despite how many times Sakura had heard that, it always made her stomach do flips.

"No," she said with a smile, "I did enough of that yesterday."

"I'll bet." Sasuke muttered, thinking of Ino. Poor, poor Shikamaru. Sakura giggled, knowing where his train of thought was.

"Actually, I was thinking of going shopping for kunais and stuff."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Planning on putting a shuriken through my eyeball on our wedding night, eh?"

"Maybe." Sakura teased, and her fiancée rolled his eyes at her.

"Thanks," he muttered sarcastically, and the girl opposite him began to giggle. Eventually, though, the smile began to fade from her face, and Sasuke watched it, arching a finely shaped eyebrow.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun?" She asked.

"Hn."

"Did you ever think that we'd be here?" His eyebrow went higher. "Married, I mean." She elaborated. "In your past."

Sasuke stared down at his hands. "No." He said finally. And there it was, again, that guilt that had been eating at him ever since he had explained everything to Sakura. "It might've come to that, had I…" he stopped himself before swallowing, an action he hoped the girl hadn't noticed. His eyes met hers, dark with the intensity of his feelings and seriousness. "A shinobi is supposed to trust their gut instinct, their conscience, and I felt that when you said goodbye, that you were leaving on your mission. I should've trusted my instinct, but I didn't, and it cost us."

Suddenly a warm hand encased his own, and Sasuke, whose gaze had returned to his own hands whilst speaking with her, looked at his soon-to-be-wife. She gave him a sad smile and squeezed his hand.

"Sasuke-kun, please don't blame yourself. I'm sure that even if you _had _asked me to stay, I wouldn't have. You know me, after all."

_You know me, after all._

"Yeah, I do." Sasuke said softly.

* * *

Sakura fanned herself, glaring up at the sun and shook her fist mockingly. Damn was it hot. She panted slightly and walked into the weaponry store, seeking shelter from the unrelenting heat. It was the second week of August, and the sun was giving the inhabitants of Konoha its all before cooling down in September, which was when her wedding was.

Passing through the rows of shuriken, kunai, senbon, and other various weapons, Sakura paused at one shelf of kunais. She picked up one, and felt the weight in her hand. Satisfied, she picked up a couple more like that one and went to go pay for them.

Sasuke had given her money to go shopping with, and at first she had profusely ignored it and argued that she had money of her own, but Sasuke, being the perfect Uchiha he was and this meant in arguments too, replied that he had more than enough money and he wasn't going to really touch it anyway, so he'd rather that it be put to good use.

Eventually, she had just given up and taken the damn money, since she was stubborn, but Sasuke was more so.

Sakura smiled as she walked out of the store. Kakashi-sensei sure had raised a group of hardheaded, headstrong ninjas.

Speaking of Kakashi-sensei…

The roseate-haired female looked over at where his apartment was, and bit her lip. Then, she began to walk towards it, and headed towards where she knew his door was. Knocking, she waited for a response and hoped he wasn't on a mission.

"Sakura?" Kakashi asked, a little dumbfounded to see his former student on his doormat. She grinned sheepishly.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei." She chirped, and after a moment her old sensei's eye did that happy little curve thing, letting her know he was smiling.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise. Come in." Sakura did so, glancing around and sitting down on his couch. She made a tsk-ing noise and started to straighten up the folders and papers on his desk.

When the ash-haired male came back with two steaming mugs of tea, he found Sakura shuffling papers and muttering, "Kami-sama, my boys will never learn, will they?"

Kakashi chuckled, and Sakura didn't turn around to face him until she was satisfied that the papers weren't thrown haphazardly across the desk and were in proper order.

"So, what brings you here?" Kakashi asked once they had taken a couple of sips of the heated beverage.

"Jeez, can't a student come visit her old teacher every once in a while?" Sakura teased with a laugh but then sobered up, and she stared at her tea for a moment, watching as the steam swirled up and then evaporated before making eye contact with the Jounin. "Actually, uhm, I wanted to know something."

"What is it?" Sakura, like Naruto, was generally a happy-go-lucky person, which was why it was odd to see her so sad and tense. "Did something happen between you and Sasuke?"

_Well yeah, in a sense,_ Sakura thought to herself, but she knew he meant in a fight wise, so she shook her head. "No, no, that's not it." The medic took a deep breath.

"For my wedding… Kakashi-sensei, will you walk me down the aisle?"

There weren't many times that Hatake Kakashi could be stunned into silence, but this was one of those rare times. He stared at Sakura for a moment, his one visible eye wide, before they softened and he placed a hand on her head and rubbed it affectionately, the same thing he had done to her and Naruto when they were genin.

"Of course, Sakura," he said gently, touched beyond words, and the only girl on his team offered him a tentative smile.

"Really?" She asked in a small voice, and Kakashi nodded.

He knew that it had been hard for her after her parents had passed away; hell, it had been hard for all of them. They, who could protect Sakura from enemy ninjas, from weapons being thrown at her, from possible suitors… how were they supposed to save her from her inner demons? How could they make _this _hurt go away?

The answer was simple: they couldn't. All they could do was comfort her and try to dull the pain. Eventually, their pink-haired princess was okay again, and they all breathed a little easier; the world was a brighter place when Sakura was happy.

He found himself in a hug by said girl, and after a moment, he wrapped his arms around her, giving into it even though he had never been one for closeness.

_Then again, neither has Sasuke and look at where he is right now_ the jounin mused inwardly before pulling back, noticing the tears that were sparkling in Sakura's emerald eyes. She hiccupped and laughed, rubbing at the tears that had started to fall down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I'm being emotional," she muttered as she swiped at her face with the back of her hand.

"It's understandable." Kakashi said calmly, and Sakura stared at him seriously before giving the male a watery smile.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hm?"

Her smile grew brighter, and beneath the mask, Kakashi was smiling as well. When Sakura smiled, you couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you."

_No, Sakura…thank __**you.**_

---

"Haha, Sasuke-teme, you thought _I _was nervous for _my _wedding? Take a look at yourself!"

"Be quiet, dobe." Sasuke snapped half-heartedly, stiff as a rod as he pushed his weight from one foot to the other as he waited for the beginning of the ceremony.

Amazingly, Naruto obeyed for a moment. "I have to go, the wedding's about to begin."

Sasuke swallowed the bundle of nerves that had collected in his throat and nodded thickly. Naruto clapped him on the shoulder, staring straight into the Uchiha's eyes before moving away.

Tsunade came walking up and grinned at Sasuke. "Ready to marry my apprentice, Uchiha?" She asked.

"Hn." was all Sasuke managed to get out, but the hazel-eyed Hokage could tell he was nervous by his restless shifting. After all, actions _did _speak louder than words.

Music began to play, and Sasuke watched as two of Sakura's young cousins came up and threw sakura petals on the red carpet. Then was Neji and Tenten, arm-in-arm, as were the rest of the people who would be coming up. Tenten smirked at him when she noticed him, but Sasuke ignored her and his eyes followed the next couple.

Shikamaru and Ino were walking in the same fashion as Neji and Tenten had, though if you looked closely enough at their entwined arms you would notice that their fingers were entwined as well. Sasuke smirked as this, noticing Ino giving him a subtle thumbs up and mouthing 'Good luck!'.

Next up was Naruto and Hinata, and Hinata was beginning to show that she was pregnant; indeed, the seamstress of the Hyuuga's kept on having to alter the dress due to her stomach getting bigger. Now, at five months, Uzumaki Hinata was positively _glowing_ and Naruto was beaming at all of Sakura's family members and, of course, their friends. Sasuke rolled his eyes, shoulders tensed. He knew what was coming up next, but it didn't quite prepare him for the actual thing.

He had been wondering whether Sakura would merely walk herself down the aisle, as they had never discussed it before, but it was obvious that he was wrong, as the first thing Sasuke noticed was silver hair and curved eyes in happiness. And then… Sakura.

Ino certainly had a way with fashion, he had to hand her that- Sakura's dress was pure white and it was an off-the-shoulder dress, with the bodice that had diamonds encrusted into it hugging her curves and puffing out slightly at the beginning of skirt, which was made of silk and trailed after her. Her pink hair was in ringlets, and Sakura was wearing natural makeup, so the only thing he could actually see was the eyeliner, which made her apple green eyes pop out more.

The raven-haired male hadn't even realized he wasn't breathing until Sakura was near him and all he could smell was her perfume. Kakashi lifted the veil and wanted to pat her head like he had always done but couldn't, and instead gripped her shoulders tightly before winking and turning to Sasuke.

"She's all yours," he murmured, then walked over to his seat.

_You're damn right._

* * *

Sakura giggled as she held the bouquet of white and pink roses in her hand. "Ready ladies?" She called, before bringing her hands forward and then launching the roses in the air. When she turned, a _very _shocked Tenten was holding them as Ino laughed and clapped her on the shoulders.

Sakura's gaze was focused on Neji, and when he spotted her Sakura pointed at Tenten frantically and mouthed, 'Do it!'

_Was that a blush she saw?!_ Grinning evilly, Sakura walked over to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kuuun," she crooned, and he watched her cautiously.

"What kind of twisted mischief are you up to _now, _Uchiha Sakura?" The sound made a pleasurable shudder run up Sakura's spine and she wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck, swaying to the beat of the music.

"Say it again," she pleaded with him, as his hands rested in the cradle of her hips.

"Uchiha Sakura."

"Mmm…" She leaned up and kissed him and he kissed her back, tongue swiping across her lips.

Sakura reluctantly pulled away- damn her need to breathe- and smiled up at him. "Sasuke-kun," she murmured.

"Hn."

"I love you."

Sasuke's gaze was intense as he stared down at her.

"Aa." He said, and kissed her hard, conveying all of the feelings he had for her into his lips. Sakura moaned and slid her hand from the base of his neck to cup his cheek, and he tilted her head to deepen the kiss before pulling back and leaning his forehead against hers.

Maybe he would never be able to utter those magical three words, but she didn't mind; she would wait forever if need be. She didn't mind if he _never _said it. Sakura hadn't been the smartest one graduating from the Academy for nothing, after all. It was just as Tsunade had noticed beforehand.

Actions always spoke louder than words. And as Sasuke kissed her again, fingers burying in her roseate locks, Sakura knew.

Sasuke loved her.

* * *

**A/N- Dude. I have just written the majority of this in all one sitting. Go me! And it's currently 5:13. I am NOT going back and re-editing this now, so if you guys notice something, tell me. I'm not talking like some tiny little freaking mistake, but something kinda big. Like, a misspelling or whatever. **

**Anyway, I'm finally free, you guys! There might be more updates since it's summer, but I dunno, cause I'll be going on vacation soon. But anyway, you guys should be happy: I've decided to extend the chapters, so there'll probably be somewhere around 32 chapters. Hell, I'll probably finish this story sometime around my birthday in October, give or take how fast I update.**

**So, please review? Because I've been sitting here writing this for four hours straight (besides to get up and go get more soda, and having to go to the bathroom **_**because**_** I was drinking too much) and it's past FIVE in the morning. Excuse me while I pass out. (AND I BROKE 500! WOOT!) **


	20. Merry Christmas

Chapter 20: Merry Christmas

Months passed by after Sasuke and Sakura's wedding, and two weeks afterwards Sasuke was being sent on a ton of missions and Sakura was studying for her jounin exams. The air began to change from the warmth it had been in September to cold and bitter in December.

Sakura sighed and, irritated, put her hair up into a loose ponytail, pouring over different kinds of medical jutsu's and sipping at a cup of tea. It was too cold to be outside and even inside, with the heat going, the female was still freezing. She huddled farther into one of Sasuke's long-sleeved Uchiha's shirts (she, of course, had her own; she just liked his better. They still had his scent) and flipped another page, holding back a yawn.

Sasuke was on another mission but was due home tonight, and she wanted to be up when he did. She always did sleep better when she was in his arms. Glancing down at the teacup, she found that she didn't have much left in there and decided to go make some more. Or perhaps some coffee, since she had a feeling that she would need something strong to get her through the rest of the night.

Getting up, Sakura was waiting for the coffee to brew when she looked out the window. The snow was falling gently, and with the help of the lights burning from inside the house the snow on the ground seemed to sparkle magically. She smiled serenely and crossed her arms, snuggling into the shirt.

She felt him before she saw him. Her gaze narrowed as she stared hard at the figure emerging from the snow, though she knew it was him by the chakra signature. She grinned and quickly poured the cup of coffee, not adding anything to it before she ran to the door and slipped into her boots hastily.

Wrenching open the door, Sakura ran to him and jumped onto her surprised husband whose hands grabbed her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, burying her smile into his neck.

"I missed you." She murmured and felt Sasuke continue to walk.

"I was only gone for two weeks." He answered logically, and if she could the girl would've shrugged.

"Doesn't matter," she said, grinning. "I felt like you haven't been home in forever and I missed being in your arms." She didn't notice but a small smile tugged at the corner of the male Uchiha's lips.

"Did you now?" He somehow managed to nudge the door closed with his foot while still holding her.

"Mhmm…" she agreed with a giggle, and Sasuke sighed, shaking his head.

"Why did you go out there in a pair of sweatpants and… " Sasuke raised an amused eyebrow, "one of my shirts?"

"You forgot my boots." She teased him and the onyx-eyed male rolled his eyes.

"You're evading my question."

Sakura merely shrugged as he sat her down on the couch and began to remove his coat. "I told you I missed you." Sasuke hung up his coat on the hanger by the wall, then turned and stared at her seriously for a couple of moments before leaning forward, one hand gripping her ponytail gently to angle her face up as his lips met hers.

Sakura gripped his shirt and dragged him forward, her lips dancing over his own. "Mmm, Sasuke-kun," Sakura moaned as Sasuke pressed his body closer to hers. His hand crept closer to the base of her hair and deftly pulled out the hair tie, feeling her silken locks cascade over his fingers. She smirked against his lips. "Tease," she breathed out.

"You know," Sasuke began, and pushed further against her so that Sakura was lying down on the couch with Sasuke on top of her, "we've been too busy lately to really…" he smirked, "bond."

Sakura gaped at him, though Sasuke stopped that by kissing her. "You know, I think Kakashi-sensei's rubbing off on you," she managed to gasp out as Sasuke began to suckle the skin on the right side of her neck.

Sasuke smirked against the skin. "Perhaps." He murmured, then Sakura felt his arms moving, one going around her neck and the other underneath her knees.

"Sasuke!" Sakura's scolding voice was ruined by the fact she was laughing as Sasuke carted her to their bedroom. "I've got coffee sitting on the counter!"

"Screw the coffee," Sasuke muttered, and Sakura smirked devilishly.

"You'd rather be screwing something else though, wouldn't you?"

Sasuke's smirk said everything, and Sakura's laughter continued to echo around the room as he closed their bedroom door.

----

"I don't see why we have to do this." Sasuke muttered, trudging besides Sakura with his hands shoved in his pockets and a frown marring his perfect face. His pink-haired wife merely rolled her eyes.

"Because, Sasuke-kun," she began patiently, "it's almost Christmas and they're still our friends; therefore, it's only polite to get them presents."

"Hn."

Sakura glanced at the stoic man out of the corner of her eye and then stopped. Sasuke had kept walking but stopped when he noticed she wasn't with him. Annoyed, he looked back and glared at her, only to find a small smile breaking across Sakura's face.

"Sasuke-kun, is that the scarf I made you like, seven years ago?" **(A/N-- Refer back to chapter 8 if you don't know what she's talking about.)**

Sasuke looked down and, sure enough, she was right.

"Aa. So?" Sakura said nothing but just continued to smile at him, almost as if she knew something he didn't. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. "Well, you want to go shopping for everyone, don't you? So get a move on." He snapped and the medic-nin began to walk towards him.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun," Sakura sighed, standing up on her toes and kissing him on the cheek, then moving her hand so that it was entwined with his. Sasuke grunted but didn't say anything.

"So…I wonder what we should get everyone…" Sakura said absentmindedly.

"Well, the dobe will probably want ramen," Sasuke said with a smirk and Sakura smacked his arm.

"Sasuke-kun," she admonished, "we can't get Naruto ramen for _Christmas_."

"Why not? He'll like it."

"Well, because…" Sakura seemed to be struggling for a reason before she threw up her hands in exasperation. "Just because! _Sasuke-kun, stop smirking at me like that, dammit!_"

Sasuke silenced her quickly with a kiss.

* * *

_The meadow was green, a gentle wind brushing through the grass and the numerous flowers that scattered the field. The leaves in the trees swayed slightly as the wind caressed them with it's gentle touch._

_"Uchiha Sasuke…" The voice seemed to come from nowhere and yet it echoed around him everywhere, reminding Sasuke of Haku and his ice mirrors._

_The dark-haired male spun around, looking for the feminine voice that had uttered his name. Finding no one, his eyes narrowed. "Aa."_

_"I know of your secret," the voice said again. It was soft, definitely a female, and comforting, but wise-sounding; the thought was ridiculous, Sasuke found himself thinking, but that's what it sounded like. "I am the one who sent you to your past. Do you understand why?"_

_"To change it." He answered shortly, and the wind picked up slightly, cherry blossoms swirling around him before mingling and resting in the grass. 'Sakura…'_

_"Not quite," said the voice, sounding amused. The wind began swirl in front of him, moving in quick, circular motions, much like that of a mini-tornado. Almost as soon as it had started it was over, and standing in front of him was a woman with long, straight, soft-looking brown hair. Her green eyes regarded Sasuke gently. "Hello, Sasuke."_

_Sasuke would've taken a step back if he hadn't been who he was. "Who are you?" He asked, tone bordering on rude as he shoved his hands into his pockets. The woman let out a tinkling laugh._

_"My name is Destiny, but I'm also known as Fate, Lady Luck, Chance, Moira, ect ect." She smiled at him. "I have been watching over you for a long, long time, Uchiha Sasuke. I have been watching over you, your grandfather, your grandfather's grandfather, and so on." _

_Sasuke started at her and resisted the urge to laugh right in her face. Was this woman psycho or what? Instead, he opted for chuckling. "Lady, are you serious? Do you think I'm stupid?"_

_The brunette frowned at him. "When you were four, you had a stuffed teddy bear and named it Mr. Jingles."_

_Sasuke could feel a hot blush creeping up along his collar, but psycho-woman, apparently, wasn't done. "When you were six, you tried to teach yourself to swim because your brother was too busy to. You jumped in the lake, and your cousin had to go in and save you. When you were seven, you saw your father using a razor to shave and decided to try it out on yourself. That same year--"_

_"Enough." Sasuke said darkly, and was acutely aware of his red-hot ears. He had forgotten all about those memories… _

_Destiny's lip quirked upwards in what looked like a smirk. "Believe me now, do we?" Sasuke nodded, swallowing thickly. The amusement fled from the apple-eyed female's face. "I do suppose that it is now time to explain to you the reasoning behind what I have done." Sasuke was silent, gazing at her._

_"It has always been this girls fate to die; however, she is one of the few people these days who are truly innocent. Disregarding the missions she was sometimes sent on to kill, those were missing-nins. She was a medic-nin, and served her life to help people… to give them a second chance." Her eyes locked with his, and the green was intense. They almost reminded him of Sakura's eyes. _

_"Also, she loved you. Pure, unadulterated love. She loved you despite your flaws, despite everything you have ever put her through." Destiny's lips quirked into a small smile. "Haruno Sakura has loved you ever since she was four years old, when she saw you for the first time, right up until the day she died. Do you know what she said, before she died?"_

_Sasuke shook his head, finding himself enthralled. A part of him didn't want to know, didn't want to remember Sakura dying, but a tiny part of him was curious. He wished to stomp on that sliver._

_"She wished for you to be happy, even if it was with some other woman." Destiny said softly. "She still loved you with everything she had, and that was all she ever wanted for you: happiness." _

_Sasuke looked away from those eyes, feeling a lump constrict his throat. It was hard to breathe. _

_Unbidden, an image of Sakura appeared in his mind, from the way she had been before his life had changed forever. Her, lying in the forest, in a pool of her own blood, but she was staring up at the sky with a wry smile on her face. There was blood trailing down her plump lips, down her shoulder, further staining her already-soiled shirt. "I want Sasuke to be happy." She whispered, then coughed, blood spurting from her lips. She closed her eyes. "I want for him to have happiness, because he's always been deprived of it… he still needs to restore his clan…" Tears seeped from beneath closed eyelids, and Sakura choked back a sob, though a whimper escaped. "He's going to make some woman very happy someday." Her breathing began to slow. "Goodbye, Naruto…Sasuke…kun…"_

_The Uchiha jerked his head, eyes widening in shock. Destiny nodded, indicating what he had already suspected: she had sent him that last image of Sakura. Sakura, dying alone… _

_"So I changed my plans, especially after seeing the devastation that that girls death caused. I brought you back to where everything began, hoping that you'd understand, and you did." A smile graced her lips, and her eyes lightened with happiness. "I'm very proud of you." Here, she sighed. "However, the others learned of my…meddling."_

_"The others?" Sasuke inquired, and Destiny laughed._

_"Yes, the others. I don't operate alone, you know. There is Kami, and the other Fates." _

_So many questions revolved in his head, and he opened his mouth, but Destiny shook her head, brown hair swishing. _

_"I cannot explain, I'm sorry. I have come here to warn you, Uchiha Sasuke," her eyes pierced him. "I may have brought you two together, once more, because," a sad smile adorned her face, "sometimes, in love, you need another chance because you weren't ready for it the first time. You, Uchiha Sasuke, belong with Haruno Sakura."_

_There was a tightening in Sasuke's chest as he stared at Destiny, both literally and figuratively. "But…?"_

_Destiny sighed. "But the others aren't exactly the happiest with me, despite them knowing that you two are, as cliché as it sounds, soul mates. They reason in your previous life that, technically, you guys WERE together. Just… in your hearts. The only reason they've allowed me to get away with it for so long is that now, if Sakura dies once again, you guys will have been officially together."_

_Suddenly, the meadow didn't seem as beautiful as it once had. His breath quickened, panic filling his every vein, and Sasuke looked down. Pain rushed through him at the sight of the sakura petals at his feet._

_'Sakura…'_

_A hand placed itself on his shoulder and he jerked it off angrily. "Don't touch me." He hissed. _

_Destiny stood in front of him, and he knew that if he looked at her there would be a pitying light in her eyes, one that he absolutely HATED. He had seen it for so long after his clan's death that he was sick of that look, the face going soft, the words so insincere. _

_"You cannot stop her from becoming a jounin. In case you haven't noticed, THAT is her destiny, both in your time and the time you're in now." She sighed. "If the others DO decide to kill Sakura," Sasuke's stomach lurched and he closed his eyes, "I will try my hardest to get her back. But lightening does not strike twice in the same place."_

_Sasuke swallowed thickly and felt a soft, cool hand cup his chin until it was facing Destiny. "Open your eyes, Uchiha Sasuke." He did as told, though not understanding why (he suspected she was using her powers on him) and Destiny smiled sadly. "Know that there is, at least, someone on your side."_

_Sasuke nodded and she let go. The wind whipped around Destiny, and in a second, she was gone._

_"Uchiha Sasuke," came her voice, once again from nowhere and everywhere at the same time, "tell Sakura that you love her as soon as possible, because you never know when you'll never have the chance to again."_

* * *

Sasuke woke up, sweating and convulsing with terror. The light switch flipped on, and then Sakura's worried face was hovering above his own, long pink locks tickling his bare chest she was so close. "Sasuke-kun? Are you alright?" 

Sasuke's eyes locked with her viridian ones and he tugged her down for a kiss. She let out a surprised noise before melting into his embrace. "Sasuke-kun," she moaned, as he rolled over and she was beneath him.

"Sakura," he murmured against her throat before pulling away. She gave him a small smile and reached up, running her hand through his dark hair. His eyes softened before he leaned over and turned off the light. "Go back to sleep." He told her, embracing her and lying his head on her chest, placing his ear right on her heartbeat-- just to assure himself that yes, she was still there with him.

"Sasuke-kun? What were you dreaming of?" Sasuke froze before forcing himself to relax.

"You," he replied, which, technically, wasn't a lie. In the dark, Sakura frowned, a hand coming up and playing with Sasuke's hair.

"But you were thrashing about in your sleep… you looked…you looked upset." Sasuke sighed, then inhaled deeply, and the scent that was uniquely Sakura invaded his senses until his brain was purely wrapped around her.

"I was dreaming of the day you died," again, not a total lie, but not the blatant truth, either.

"Oh," came her soft reply, and Sasuke could tell that she was distressed.

"Look," Sasuke sighed, nudging her elbow gently with his hands, and her hands resumed plowing through obsidian tresses, "it doesn't matter anymore." _Because you're here now_. It went unspoken, but Sakura understood, and it made her smile.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

_You're here now…but for how much longer?_

---

"Merry Christmas!" Sakura shouted cheerfully as she opened the door.

"Merry Christmas Sakura-chan!" Naruto answered back just as happily, and he engulfed Sakura into a tight hug.

"Merry Christmas Hinata-chan," Sakura said, once she could breathe properly, and pulled the raven-haired female into a hug.

"M-Merry Christmas, Sakura-chan," Hinata greeted back. "Merry Christmas, Sasuke-san."

"Yeah yeah, Merry Christmas teme!" Sasuke smirked as Naruto and Hinata removed their shoes.

"Hn, dobe." Sakura shot Sasuke a glare. "Merry Christmas, idiot. Merry Christmas, Hinata."

"So, what'd you guys get?" Naruto's face split into a wide grin.

"Tsunade-baachan announced this morning that I'll be the next Rokudaime!"

"That's _fantastic_, Naruto!" Sakura squealed, and it was her turn to hug Naruto. "And you, Hinata-chan?"

The females conversed over their gifts and Naruto wandered over to Sasuke.

"So, finally Hokage, eh Naruto?" Sasuke asked as the blue-eyed Jinchuuriki sat down next to him on the couch. Naruto smirked.

"Yeah, finally." Said Naruto, stretching languidly and blinked as Hinata ducked underneath his arm and seated herself next to him. Naruto placed a hand on her bulging belly and smiled. Next to Sasuke, Sakura did as well.

"How far along are you?"

"J-just a couple more weeks to go," Hinata murmured, flushing in happiness.

"And we're gonna name the baby Naruto Jr. Dattebayo! OW! Sakura-chan, that hurt!"

"Dobe." Sasuke sighed, shaking his head, and Sakura echoed her husband's reaction.

"Honestly, Naruto, what would happen if it was a girl?"

"You know I'm just joking, Sakura-chan," Naruto said lightly and laughing, though he was eying Sakura's clenched fist that rested in her lap like it might jump out and punch him any second.

"Better be." Sakura huffed, though her lips were twitching upward in a smile. "Anyway, we got you guys presents!"

The present, it seemed, was an enlarged picture of the day Naruto had proposed to Hinata. One knee was propped up, the one still on the ground. Hinata held one hand to her mouth while tears of happiness slid down her face. Her dainty hand was out, and Naruto was in the process of sliding the engagement ring onto her finger, a happy, content smile on his face. It was at that point that Sakura had snapped the picture.

There was a silver frame that encased the picture, and engraved into it said, in elegant cursive: As soon as I saw your smile, I knew you were the only one.

"It's beautiful, Sakura-chan." Hinata said breathlessly, as she gazed at the picture.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, a wide grin splitting his face in half.

Sakura smiled. "Well, now you can say that I got you the second-most awesome present for your first Christmas as Rokudaime."

"Well, actually, Old Man gave me a ticket to free ramen for life…" Naruto trailed off, then quailed under Sakura's furious gaze, "but Sakura-chan's present is MUCH better! After all, who needs ramen? Ahahaha…" Satisfied with his answer, Sakura turned around, and Naruto took that time to mouth a 'sorry!' to the ramen gods.

"Here's your present, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, and Sakura opened it, gasping as she took it out. It was a diamond necklace with a diamond teardrop, and sparkled in the artificial light in the living room.

"And teme," Naruto began, turning to his best friend. "Here; Tsunade-baachan told me to give this to you."

He produced a scroll from inside the folds of his jacket and handed it to Sasuke. He raised an eyebrow and opened the scroll, reading through the contents quickly.

Sakura, being too short to read over his shoulder, tugged on his shirt sleeve. "What's it say?" She asked.

"I've been moved up to ANBU." Sasuke answered, handing her the scroll. She scanned it briefly, a wide smile making it's way onto her face.

"Oh, this is so great!" She squealed, and clapped her hands. Hinata smiled at her.

"Isn't it? Naruto-kun b-becoming Hokage, and Sasuke-san being accepted into ANBU."

Sakura tugged on Sasuke's sleeve again, only this time it was harder, which caused him to bend down and she kissed his cheek. He scowled, though there was no meaning behind it.

"Anyway, we're gonna go now; Hinata-chan's father wants to see us." Naruto said, and a little shudder raced up his spine; despite the fact that Naruto and Hinata had been married for almost a year now, Hyuuga Hiashi still scared the crap out of him.

"Good luck." Sakura said, smiling, and Naruto grimaced but waved goodbye.

Sakura was glowing as she put on the necklace and chattered on about "how awesome it is now that they're all in the higher-ups, or will be."

"Sakura." His wife stopped talking, finally finding the clasp and hooking the necklace on; her wedding ring glinted, and it caught Sasuke's eye for a second before they returned to her.

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun?"

He walked up to her, and merely stared at her silently. "Sasuke-kun?"

Green eyes stared at him seriously.

_"I want Sasuke to be happy." She whispered, then coughed, blood spurting from her lips. She closed her eyes. "I want for him to have happiness, because he's always been deprived of it… he still needs to restore his clan…" _

Even in her final moments, Sakura had thought of him.

He reached up, a hand cupping her neck, fingers tangling in her soft, silky hair.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura inquired softly, now concerned. "Is something wrong?"

He stared at her for a moment, before leaning forward, so close he could feel her breath on his lips, could see where her eyes darkened near the iris'. "Sakura," he sighed, pulling away, if only slightly. Dark eyes locked with expectant emerald ones, and she raised an eyebrow.

"I love you."

* * *

**A/N- Raise your hand if you saw that ending coming. -raises hand- WELL, I intended for this chapter to be happy and fluffy. Apparently, I failed. And my plot bunnies have been avoiding me like the plague, so I had a very hard time writing this, which is obvious since I haven't updated since late June. Which I am quite sorry about, by the way. And also, the words didn't come as quickly to me as they normally do, which is why this chapter seems so awkward and...blegh. I'm not very happy with it.**

**And also, I blame the discovery of Prince of Tennis. RyoSaku is my OTP, and I don't care **_**what **_**you say, Ailey, it IS better than FujiRyo. Ryoma would never lower himself to be uke. Who else enjoys RyoSaku? Let's chat about it xD. **

**Anyway, you know the drill: reviews are muchly appreciated, especially considering the fact that it's 3:30 in the morning (why is it that I always wind up updating so freaking late?) and I haven't been sleeping that well. So yeah, reviews are love! Love me?**


	21. To lose or not to lose

Chapter 21: To lose or not to lose, that is the question.

Sakura sighed, running a hand across the back of her neck tiredly. She was working the late shift, which she knew Sasuke hated but it wasn't hard work, and it let her get more stuff done, like paperwork; however, it was midnight, and she was exhausted and just wanted to crawl into bed next to Sasuke and sleep for the next few days.

As much as she hated it to admit it, though, she knew that the hospital needed her; this was no time to be selfish. Yawning, Sakura stretched her aching muscles as she re-seated herself in her comfy chair and prepared to continue her paperwork, though she was reminded cheerfully, as she scribbled down the reason a patient had been treated, that she had a fresh cup of coffee by her elbow and her shift ended in a half-hour.

For ten minutes, the only sound in her office was that of her pen scratching across the paper and the ticking of the clock behind her, as well as the occasional sips of the liquid in Sakura's cup that should've been hailed as a God.

Suddenly, a harried-looking nurse burst into the room, brown hair askew. "Ayame-san, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, looking up from her tedious paperwork.

"Sakura-sama, there's an emergency. The future Hokage's wife and your friend, Uzumaki Hinata-sama, she's gone into labor."

_Well shit. There went her going home in twenty minutes._

---

"Hinata-chan, I need you to breathe for me." Sakura commanded, as she waited for the baby to finally make it's appearance after so many months of waiting.

Hinata nodded, taking in some shaky breathes while Naruto held her hand tightly, face drawn and pale and, for once, not saying a word. Sakura smiled encouragingly at the two of them, and Naruto managed a weak smile and then blanched as Hinata gripped his hand tightly as a fresh wave of pain wracked her body and Sakura knew that if this child didn't come out soon, both of Naruto's hands would be broken before the end of it.

Secretly, she smirked to herself: as Hinata wasn't fully dilated yet, she wasn't screaming _just_ yet. Naruto would be soon, though. The former-Hyuuga may not look it, but she was quite strong.

Feeling bad for her friend, Sakura smiled at him again. "Naruto, do you want to wait outside? Hinata's gonna be in a lot of pain, and quite soon, and there's a good possibility that she'll break your hand. Plus, there'll be a lot of," here, she winced, "blood involved."

Naruto inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, obviously trying to not get any mental images.

"G-go, Naruto-kun. I'll be fine." Hinata's quiet voice urged him, and he looked from Sakura to his wife; there was pain in her eyes, and he squeezed her hand gently and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"No, I'll bare with you. Dattebayo!" There it was, that infamous catchphrase that Sakura knew would appear eventually.

"Naruto, you'd better ready yourself." Sakura told him. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride.

---

Two hours and twenty three minutes later, Uzumaki Hikari was brought into the world. Sakura brought her over to Hinata, all cleaned up, and watched as the happy couple looked at their daughter. "Wow…" Naruto murmured, and didn't tack on anything to that sentence.

"W-would you like to hold her, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, and Naruto turned his wide blue eyes to her.

"M-me?" He squeaked out, and Hinata nodded, smiling. He hesitantly held out his arms, and Hinata placed Hikari in them; Naruto held the little girl the same way he observed his wife doing so, and stared down at her in amazement. "She's so little…" He murmured, picking up on of her tiny fingers and staring at it.

Sakura smiled, tears swimming in both the females eyes, and watched as Naruto pressed a delicate kiss to the top of his newborn daughters head.

"I'll protect you with my life, dattebayo." The Jinchuuriki whispered softly, and Sakura coughed inconspicuously to turn her head and wipe away the tears that had started rolling down her face; however, when Naruto returned Hikari to Hinata's arms, Sakura and Hinata realized that they weren't the only one's crying.

"Hey." Sasuke greeted, as Sakura stepped out of the room. She had placed Hikari in a special room, where she would be taken care of and monitored to make sure there were no problems, while Hinata slept and Naruto told her that he'd stay the night with Hinata.

"Hey." Sakura replied tiredly, the both of them walking towards her office.

"So the dobe's baby was finally born?" Her dark-haired husband asked, and Sakura nodded as she hung up her medic's coat and started to straighten up all the paperwork that had gotten strewn across her office in her rush to get to Hinata. Sasuke watched her from the doorframe, leaning against it with crossed arms and watching the female bend over to pick up pieces of paper.

When Sakura had finally gotten all of the paper in order, she placed them on her desk and looked sadly at her almost-full cup of coffee that had been ignored and was now cold. Sasuke rolled his eyes at Sakura's pouting lips. "I'll make you some when we get home." Sakura, however, shook her head.

"Right now, all I want to do is fall asleep." She told him, and Sasuke nodded, watching quietly as Sakura put some folders in her bag before looking up at him and smiling. "Alright, I'm done." Walking over to him, she flipped off the lights and slipped her hand into his.

"Naruto had a little girl." Sakura told him, as they walked back home. Sasuke's raised eyebrow prompted her to continue. "They named her Hikari."

"Hn." Sasuke replied to that, and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"You know you didn't have to come to the hospital."

"I know." Green eyes regarded him carefully.

"Then why did you? I told you that it'd be a long process, and that you should go home. And I was right, wasn't I? It's three-thirty in the morning."

"You never know who's out here." Was Sasuke's response. Sakura looked at him carefully before a wide grin split her face and she hugged his arm.

_"Sasuke." _The hairs on the back of his neck rose. "You can't sleep without me, can you?"

Sasuke looked down at his small wife, annoyed. "What? That's not it. Che, annoying." Though he didn't know whether he was referring to Sakura or the fact that she might be right.

Sakura giggled and pressed herself closer to him. "Yes it is." She sang. "You can't sleep without me. You miss me when I'm not around." She laughed loudly, head thrown back and eyes closed as she did so.

Finally able to control her giggles, Sakura looked at the man standing beside her. Sasuke's dark eyes bored into hers, and it felt like they were reaching into her soul; and just like every other time that Sakura caught Sasuke looking at her with such an expression, she felt the breath leave from her body and had to forcefully remind herself to breathe.

"Sasuke?" She whispered, but he merely continued staring at her. "Sas-mph!" Sakura found herself being thrown backwards and into a wall, a hand cupping the back of her head to take the force of the impact. Sasuke's lips ravaged hers, teeth gently nibbling the bottom of her lip and tongue sliding between her parted lips.

Sakura moaned, running her hands through his hair. Sasuke's arm circled around her waist and pulled her impossibly closer to him, hand tilting the back of her head so that he had a better angle.

"Sasuke," Sakura whispered breathlessly, as Sasuke kissed down her jaw and down to her neck, sucking on the skin of her collarbone and Sakura arched, moaning. Sasuke's tongue soothed down the mark he had made on her, while his hand rubbed slow circles on the small of her back. "Sasuke?"

"And if I told you," Sasuke said, pulling away slightly so that he could talk without hindrance, and his breath was hot on the skin of her neck, "if I told you that you were right, that I miss you when you're not around, what would you do?"

Obsidian eyes looked up and met viridian, and Sakura smiled at him, running a hand gently through his hair. "I'd tell you that I need you when you're not around."

---

Eventually, the snows melted and spring returned to Konoha. Tsunade had relieved Sakura of her medic duties, allowing her to stay home and study. In her place went Hinata, while Naruto was often with Tsunade, learning how to become a future Rokudaime. Sakura secretly thought that all the big-breasted woman was teaching him was patience, since Naruto would have a hard time staying in the office and do tedious paperwork.

While they were doing work, Sakura watched after Hikari, which wasn't too hard. The little girl mostly slept, and when she wasn't sleeping she was either eating or playing quietly with her baby toys. So far, Hikari mostly resembled Naruto, with big sapphire eyes that always seemed happy and fine blond hair toped her head.

Sakura looked now over at the little girl from over her notes and smiled to herself as she watched Hikari observe her surroundings quietly before gurgling. Standing up, the roseate-haired woman stretched before walking over to where the baby laid in her crib. Cerulean eyes focused on her and Hikari smiled.

"Hi there sweetheart," Sakura cooed to the little girl, "I dunno about you, but I'm starving. Why don't we go see what's in the fridge?" Hikari didn't answer, but Sakura took the slow blink of her eyes as an affirmation of hunger.

"Hmmm…" Sakura hummed to herself as Hikari bounced in her high chair. "Alright, I'm thinking some mashed bananas for you. I'm craving some milk and cookies, actually, for myself. What say you?" She looked at Hikari, who was giggling to herself. "Okay then, mashed bananas for you and milk and cookies for me."

Taking out the jar from the fridge, Sakura unscrewed the cap and grabbed a small spoon, sitting down in front of Hikari. The little girl was used to this, and didn't even put up a fight when Sakura said, "Say ahhh, Kari." Having spent so much time with the youngest Uzumaki, Sakura had gotten used to calling her by the nickname she had presented her with.

And dare Sakura say it, she thought even _Sasuke _had become fond of his best friend's child. One time, when Hinata had to work late and Sakura wanted Hikari to sleep over, Sakura had fallen asleep on the couch while they were watching a movie and had woken up to see Sasuke holding Hikari, watching the movie and murmuring to her. "See him? Isn't he ugly. He actually reminds me of your father. How ironic that the character is stupid as well as ugly." And then he started to bounce her on his knee and Hikari started to giggle. The sight was so adorable that Sakura decided to forgive Sasuke for not waking her up.

When Sakura sensed that Hikari was full, she carefully burped the child and placed her back into her crib to go back to sleep. Once she was sure that Hikari was asleep, she got the cookies and poured herself a nice big glass of milk.

Sakura enjoyed her snack immensely; the cookies and milk had hit the spot and successfully killed her craving for chocolate-chip cookies. Almost regretfully, Sakura returned to her book, knowing that she should probably train her body, not just her mind, for the upcoming Jounin exam, but she felt that it would do well to be prepared psychologically as well.

A few hours later, Sakura started to feel funny. Her stomach was grumbling, but not in a hungry way. Frowning, the female wondered if perhaps she had strained herself too much, but didn't have too much time to dwell on it as her stomach gave a lurch and she dashed from her couch and into the bathroom, retching.

Coming out a few minutes later, Sakura frowned at her stomach. Having a thought, she went to the fridge and looked at the milk, scoffing; no wonder she had thrown up, the milk was quite close to its expiration date. Dumping the rest of its contents down the sink, she threw away the carton and returned back to her work.

Not long after, Hikari began to cry to remind Sakura to change her diaper. Sakura did so, nose wrinkled the entire time. "No more mashed bananas for _you_, missy." She muttered in disgust, and Hikari giggled. After Sakura was finished, there was a knock on the door, and balancing the little girl on her hip while securing an arm around her waist, the older female went to go answer.

"Hey Naruto," she greeted the blond, who smiled at his daughter and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

"Hi, princess. Did Auntie Sakura take good care of you?" Naruto always asked this when he came to pick up Hikari, and Sakura always gave the same answer.

"God, Naruto, I'm not going to poison her or anything."

"Yeah, but your husband might." Sakura rolled her eyes and punched Naruto in the arm with her free hand and then handed him Hikari.

"Sasuke-kun _likes _Hikari-chan. He's not THAT heartless, you know." Naruto grinned brightly, then winced when he shifted Hikari.

"Alright alright, Sakura-chan, you know I meant no harm." He laughed, and Sakura shook her head, smiling in amusement. "I'm gonna go; Hinata-chan's making dinner now, and I just came to collect Hikari-chan."

Sakura nodded. "Tomorrow Tsunade-baachan's not making me do anything, so you don't have to worry about watching her." Again Sakura nodded; though she'd miss Hikari, she also had to go out and train for the exams.

"Bye Kari." She waved goodbye to the little baby, and Naruto picked up her hand, looking so small and pale when compared to his large and tanned one, and waved goodbye to Sakura.

---

Sasuke opened the door softly, looking around for Sakura; though it was extremely late, he wouldn't have been surprised to see her sitting on the couch, books surrounding her while she sipped a cup of coffee.

Sakura, however, was nowhere in sight, and he crept quietly towards their bedroom, quickly removing his outfit and slipping into bed beside his wife, who snuggled into his side and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Mmm, welcome home. How was the mission?" Sakura asked, her tone thick with sleep.

"Fine." Sasuke answered shortly. "Go back to sleep."

"I wasn't asleep." Sakura muttered indignantly. "I _can't _sleep if I know you're coming home. I was just lying here, thinking."

"You probably drifted off." Sasuke reasoned, and he felt Sakura shrug against his shoulder.

"Perhaps." She said, and her breathing began to even out and slow. Though Sasuke was exhausted from the mission, he stared at Sakura throughout the night, watching her sleep.

Destiny's words still haunted him; he thought about it while he was on the mission. Even though he knew that it was Sakura's fate to become a jounin, he kept on worrying that he'd return home and find her exactly like his parents.

He shook himself of such thoughts and brushed the hair from Sakura's face, listening to her labored breathing.

He wondered if he'd really wind up loosing her once more. Truth be told, Sasuke wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle it again. Now that they were together, married, it was so much more than they had been from before; now he loved her, had even admitted it once, though not since then. Sakura knew him, and knew that even then it had been so hard for him to tell her those three words. She had known it well before that, had seen it in every action, every touch, every look he sent her. He himself may not have realized it, but she had.

Almost as if to assure himself that she was here, that she was _his_, he picked up her hand and inspected the ring he had given her, a large diamond in the middle with two uchiwa fans surrounding it.

Sasuke began to feel the tendrils of sleep surrounding him, and he entwined Sakura's fingers with his own, crushing her smaller body to his own and savoring the warmth.

He closed his eyes and burrowed his face in her soft hair, inhaling deeply the scent of her shampoo. His hand released hers and went underneath his pillow, while his left traveled past her waist, coming to rest on her head and stroked his wife's roseate hair.

"Mmm, Sasuke-kun." Sakura murmured in her sleep, and Sasuke pressed his face closer to her hair, almost trying to mold her body into his, trying to memorize the exact way she smelled (like soap, coffee, toothpaste, and her shampoo, which smelled rather citrus-y. Perhaps oranges?) because Destiny's words had been a reminder to him that no one lives forever.

Yes, Sakura laid in his arms now, warm and safe, but for how much longer?

**A/N- Alright, uhm, I really have no idea whether you can feed a three-month old baby bananas; I'm guessing you can, since who knows if they had baby formula in the Naruto-verse?**

**Miss me? I apologize for the late update, but Verizon shut off my internet for three and a half weeks. Let's not get into _that _story. Also, one of my friends died on the 9th, so I kind of lost the will to write. Even now it hurts, because I can STILL hear his voice in my head, but I'm more or less over it. I'll be okay eventually. **

**Also, my birthday's coming up in two weeks, and I'm hoping that I can get up the new chapter by then, but I make no guarentees; homework enjoys pwning me, and the teachers smite me with their schoolwork.**

**Anyways, thanks a BUNCH for your everlasting patience, and please, leave a review.**


	22. Author's Note

Hey, you guys. I come bringing some bad news. My computer has totally crashed on me, which is why the new chapter for ANYTHING isn't out yet. I don't know when I'll be getting a new computer; hopefully for Christmas, but I doubt anything before that. So my next update will, most likely, if I get a comp for X-Mas, in January.

Sucks, doesn't it?

I'm sorry to all those who were looking forward to the new chapter. Truth be told, so was I; however, there's nothing I can do but wait it out like you guys.

Have an awesome Halloween, and hopefully a good new year. I'll see you guys in '08.


	23. The choices we make pt I

_Recap:_

Sasuke began to feel the tendrils of sleep surrounding him, and he entwined Sakura's fingers with his own, crushing her smaller body to his own and savoring the warmth.

He closed his eyes and burrowed his face in her soft hair, inhaling deeply the scent of her shampoo. His hand released hers and went underneath his pillow, while his left traveled past her waist, coming to rest on her head and stroked his wife's roseate hair.

"Mmm, Sasuke-kun." Sakura murmured in her sleep, and Sasuke pressed his face closer to her hair, almost trying to mold her body into his, trying to memorize the exact way she smelled (like soap, coffee, toothpaste, and her shampoo, which smelled rather citrus-y. Perhaps oranges?) because Destiny's words had been a reminder to him that no one lives forever.

Yes, Sakura laid in his arms now, warm and safe, but for how much longer?

* * *

Chapter 22: The choices we make pt. I

When Sasuke woke, it was to the smell of grass, the subtle smell of sulfur from a campfire, and beneath those, the smell of _her_, something that had the scent of cinnamon. There was a warm heat in his arms, her slender body pressed against him, and should he ever die, this is what he thinks heaven would be like. Just her and him, in the quiet of dawn, wrapped in the other's embrace.

It was then, when his brain attempted to remove itself from the fog that sleep produced, that Sasuke remembered that today was the day of Sakura's jounin exams, and that sleepy peacefulness shattered like fragments of a broken mirror.

Even though Sasuke knew that he had to allow Sakura to take the exams, he still wasn't happy about it. Perhaps his thoughts on heaven weren't so far away after all.

Still, though, Sakura needn't know of his own worries, so he got as carefully as he could out of her arms and out of bed and headed to the bathroom to go take a shower. When he got out, Sakura was still asleep. He smirked as he towel-dried his hair, getting dressed before deciding to wake her up.

"Sakura." He breathed her name as he began to shake her slowly. She grumbled something, bringing a hand up to bat away at his own. He chuckled. "C'mon, wake up. Your exams are today."

"Don't wannaaaa." She whined, and Sasuke's smirk was slipping dangerously into a smile. She was far too amusing for her own good.

"Too bad." With that, he ripped the comforter off of her, and she shrieked, eyes flying open to glare at him. He smirked at her. "Up."

"You're so mean." She muttered, irritated, as she climbed out of bed.

"I know. I just took a shower, so you might want to wait a few more minutes before you go in. Meanwhile, I'm gonna go make us some breakfast."

"Fine." She pouted, and his lips twitched before he kissed her, then left their bedroom to go make breakfast.

Sakura sighed, running a hand through her hair before heading towards the shower. When she came out, more awake and fresh, she dressed quickly then walked to the kitchen. Sasuke had his back to her, rolling rice between his palms. A grin crossed Sakura's face as she remembered that Sasuke couldn't really cook anything besides ramen and rice balls. She giggled into her hand, so of course he heard it, turning around and arching an eyebrow at her.

She just smiled at him, taking a seat at their table. Sasuke watched his wife warily, knowing instinctively that she was up to something, but Sakura looked at everything but him so he decided to drop it--for the time being, that is.

The kettle on the stove began to whistle--in her tiredness, Sakura hadn't noticed that the flame was on underneath it--and Sasuke poured them both tea. Instead of making him come over and hand it to her and then have to return to the counter and continuing to prepare their meal Sakura just got up herself. Grabbing her mug she poured whatever she wanted into it and then leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling the muscles contract every time he moved them. Without moving his eyes from the task he leaned down slightly and kissed her on the forehead; Sakura smiled softly and headed back to the table.

"What time do you have to be there?" Sasuke asked as Sakura sipped gently at the steaming drink.

"Uhm, eleven, I believe."

Sasuke nodded absentmindedly as he brought over the plates. A few minutes later he brought over the plate with the rice balls on them. "Itadakimasu!" Sakura exclaimed, and began to eat. Sasuke echoed both her words and actions, and for a few minutes there was silence. "So what are you going to do today?" Sakura asked, and Sasuke shrugged.

"Not sure. I might go see what missions there are." The female nodded and ate some more of her rice ball before taking a drink of her tea.

The rest of the meal elapsed into silence, but it was a comfortable one. Since he cooked Sakura wordlessly offered to clean, and Sasuke accepted, watching as she bustled around their kitchen, listening distantly as the water from the faucet began to run. The sun from the window above the sink was shining through the glass, and Sakura was bathed in a warm glow. Sasuke felt more drawn to her than normal, almost like she was tempting him to join him in that light, to feel the warmth of it and bask in it, with her right there beside him.

Sasuke shook his head quickly to rid himself of these disturbing thoughts--maybe he _shouldn't_ cook anymore--and silently got up and handed her his empty mug. She smiled at him quickly, accepting it, and then returned to her task.

"Sasuke-kun, what time is it?"

He glanced at the clock briefly. "9:15." He answered, and she inclined her head slightly. "I'm going to go see what missions are available." This time she turned around, standing up and kissing him.

"I love you."

In response, he kissed her deeper, and when he pulled back, he peeled back the walls of his eyes to allow them to say what his lips couldn't.

--

When he got back, she was gone. He expected this, but to come home to an empty house reminded him all too much of all the _previous _times he had returned to an empty house, so he padded softly to their bedroom, then laid down on their bed, on her side, and enveloped himself in her scent, to reassure himself.

The smell of her wrapped around him like a security blanket, and unknowingly, he fell asleep.

"_Sasuke!" Sakura chided, her glowing green hands drifting over his back to heal the large, deep gash he had spreading across it. "Honestly, could you TRY to be a little more careful and a little less reckless? Honestly, you and Naruto must have some kind of bet on who can annoy me the most." Though the last part was whispered lower than her previous sentence, Sasuke had a feeling he was meant to have heard it._

"_Hn." He grunted, and though he couldn't see it he KNEW Sakura was rolling her eyes. _

"_I don't know what I'm going to do with you," she sighed, and Sasuke felt a twinge of guilt at the tiredness of her voice._

_However, he said nothing, and Sakura did nothing to attempt to carry on a conversation--years ago she would have killed the Hokage for a chance like this, he mused--and before long she was done, pulling away and the air rushed in between them; almost immediately Sasuke missed the warmth her body provided, then inwardly scolded himself because thoughts like that would get him in trouble._

"_Alright, Sasuke, you're good to go." Sakura announced cheerfully, and for a moment Sasuke just stood staring at her. Sakura raised an incredulous eyebrow. "What?"_

_Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing." He said, and walked out._

_He wouldn't admit it, but that was the first time he looked into her eyes, REALLY looked into her eyes, and noticed that the only kind of affection that he saw in there was a teammate's, a friend's, affection._

_And he couldn't say why this bothered him so. Maybe he could, because he felt that deep down he DID know, but wild horses wouldn't have dragged it out of him._

_(She was forgetting her feelings for him, right when his own for her were beginning.)_

* * *

Even on a mission, it was hard to sleep without Sakura. His arms felt empty of her, his face felt cold because it was normally buried in those pink strands, and he felt almost…incomplete. He had gotten used to it by now, but that didn't mean that it ever got any easier to be without her.

When he returned home, she wasn't there. He frowned, dropping his bag in their room, and searched the house for her. He still couldn't find her, and finally decided that she must still be doing the exam; however, for it to last _this _long…?

Right as the thought crossed his mind the front door opened, and his senses tingled. "Sasuke-kun?" She called, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to appear nonchalant as she appeared in the doorway of their bedroom. When she saw him a brilliant smile bloomed across her face, and Sasuke's lips twitched in answer. "Hey." She greeted, and then, she was in his arms, lips searching his, and the unease that had been plaguing Sasuke since he left for his mission five days prior melted.

"So…?" He asked, once they had separated a little. Sakura grinned again and hugged him tightly, and he placed his hands on her shoulder blades, leaning into her a little.

"I passed." She murmured, and her happiness at this was so tangible in the air that Sasuke could practically taste it.

"I'll take you out to dinner, to celebrate." He told her, and Sakura pulled away, gaping at him.

"Close your mouth, you'll attract flies." He told her grumpily, and Sakura snapped it closed, but now she was smirking slyly, and Sasuke wished that he had never said anything in the first place.

"Are you taking me out on a _date_?" She teased, and Sasuke sighed.

"We're _married_, Sakura, and you just passed your jounin exam; do I REALLY need a reason to treat you to dinner?"

She pouted. "Well, no…" She deflated a little, and Sasuke sighed again, running a hand through his hair.

"Fine, then, I'm…taking you out on a _date_." She squealed and hugged him around the middle.

"You're so amazing, Sasuke-kun! I love you!" She leaned up to peck him on the lips but the back of his hand stopped her and their kiss deepened.

Almost ten minutes later they were pulling the door shut to their house, Sasuke locking it while Sakura straightened her hair. "You are so _demanding_," she huffed, brushing off her skirt, and Sasuke grunted as they walked towards the center of Konoha.

Sakura grabbed his hand, and when he glanced down at her, she gave him a big smile. "I missed you, you know." She told him, and his eyes softened slightly, his hand tightening almost imperceptibly around hers.

"Aa."

_I missed you too._

* * *

Weeks passed, and though it wasn't often that Tsunade sent Sakura on missions, since she was also needed at the hospital, it DID happen. However, this was the first time she was getting pulled from her shift to go see the Hokage about a mission.

Sakura knocked on the door, and when she heard a bellowed, "Come in!" she entered the room.

"You asked to see me, Tsunade-shishou?" She asked, closing the door, and the amber-eyed female nodded.

"I did, Sakura." The other female began shuffling around her desk--Sakura heard the telltale clinking of bottles and sweat dropped--and finally pulled out a manila folder. "I have a mission for you, one that is _very _important." She handed the folder to the roseate-haired female, who began to leaf through it, emerald eyes scanning the papers. She froze, reading the details, as Tsunade continued, "It's set in Otogakure, and you will be gone about two weeks, give or take a few days. Do you accept the mission?"

Sakura's eyes flickered up her mentor, the woman who had helped her though so much. "Hai. I do."

Tsunade nodded. "Alright. You will leave in two days. Dismissed."

When the door shut behind her, Sakura walked through a few hallways before sinking against a wall and bit her lip.

Sasuke had a strong aversion to Sound; he himself didn't enjoy going there, and he would flip if he found out Sakura had been assigned a mission there--worse, he would be _beyond _angry if he found out his wife had willingly agreed to go on the solo mission, knowing that he didn't like the place and didn't want her anywhere _near _there.

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat and buried her head in her hands. What was she going to tell Sasuke?

* * *

**A/N-- I know, I know, I suck; I come back after...seven months of not updating (the authors note doesn't count) and I leave you guys with a cliffie. But I AM back, obviously. I am so incredibly sorry for the wait, I had THE worst writer's block EVER. I went through about two weeks where I couldn't write _anything _because it all turned out like crap, and I was so upset I cried, haha. Anyway, you can thank Extra Ren for this chapter, because she finally gave my lazy butt the inspiration I needed to finish this chapter. It's short, I know; my apologies. **

**So here's what has gone down in the seven months I've been gone from FOMD: (I know most of you guys don't care, but bear with me, yeah?)**

**I got a new harddrive in early December; in February, I got a spankin new laptop because my dad got 5,000 dollars in a betting pool betting on the Giants winning the Superbowl; I have discovered a bunch of new manga's and anime's, such as: Absolute Boyfriend, Gintama, Imadoki, and Aishiteruze Baby; Missa is currently flunking Chemistry but got into Honors History for next year and got an A- for the 3rd marking period in History; I passed my drivers written exam and I'll have my permit when I turn 17 in October (I don't want to do the six hours of behind-the-wheel driving since it's so expensive); I had a boyfriend for two and a half months before I got tired of him and dumped him; had basically a thing with this guy before I heard from my best friend that he and my good friend might start dating; and now I cracked my tooth last night, it hurts, and I can't eat. (Yes, life, YOU WIN.)**

**Anyway, since you all love me (uh, you can...put down your pitchforks now, I promise it won't take me another seven months to update!) and have, perhaps, missed this story, why don't you drop me a review and tell me your thoughts?**


	24. The choices we make pt II

Chapter 23: The choices we make pt. II

Sasuke couldn't be sure (which was a disgrace, really; Uchiha's are sure of _everything_) but it seemed that something was bothering Sakura.

Her posture seemed stiff, almost hesitant, as she slowly cooked dinner. He observed her quietly over the tops of his fingers as she chopped up tomatoes, then stirred something in a pot. "Sasuke-kun," she called to him, and obsidian eyes sharpened, her voice distracting him from his musings.

"Hn."

She turned, smile bright. She _seemed _to be fine, normal. "I have a mission to go to. I leave in two days."

So _that _was what been on her mind. Her mission. He inwardly smirked. His wife was probably thinking up statistics or something alike while she cooked. "Hn. Where is it?" There was a crack in the table. Sasuke glanced down at it, an eyebrow raised. _Where had this come from?_

He didn't see the way she froze, nor how she had to force her body to relax.

"Cloud." She replied cheerfully, turning her head again to continue making dinner.

"Aa. How long will you be gone?" She shrugged, sending waves of pink tumbling over her shoulder.

"Around two weeks." She turned to him. "You can survive without me until then, right?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the teasing lilt in her voice. At his glare she smiled cheekily and grabbed some plates from the cabinet, putting their dinner on it and heading over to her husband. "Itadakimasu." He echoed her and they began to eat.

Once they finished Sakura gathered up their plates and started washing them. Sasuke watched her for a moment, something nagging at his brain. He frowned at the feeling; it was the same from…back _then._

"_Don't worry, Sasuke," she smiled at him. "I'll be gone two weeks at the most, and then when I get back I'll treat you and Naruto to some ramen!" _

_When she got back, she was no longer alive._

"Sakura."

"Hm?" She scrubbed hard at a plate, head moving downward as she inspected it.

"What kind of mission is it?"

She paused slightly before brushing back her hair from her face and giving him a confused look. "A solo one." She said slowly. "Why?"

_Her __**last **__mission had been a solo one, too. But she hadn't returned by herself. She hadn't even returned walking into the village. She had been carried on a stretcher._

_Stained red sheets._

_Bloody pink red hair._

_Paler-than-normal hand, dripping blood from the fingertips._

"You're a medic-nin. Why is Tsunade sending you on a solo mission when you're her _top _medic-nin?"

She frowned at him. "For one, she trusts my abilities. Secondly, it's an easy mission, one that doesn't require a team."

"Then why will you be gone for two weeks?"

She gave him an exasperated look, placing her hands on her hips. "Jesus, Sasuke-kun, what's with the interrogation?"

"I'm just asking." He said lowly. She rolled her eyes and walked towards him, putting her hands on his shoulders.

"I'll be fine, okay?" She kissed him quickly, but he grabbed the back of her head, kissing her harder. His other hand wrapped around her waist, crushing her smaller frame to his own.

She melted into his embrace, tilting her head, the kiss getting deeper and stronger. He kissed her jaw line, down to her neck, biting on her collar bone and sucking on the skin there. Sakura gasped, arching into his touch as his hands kneaded the skin on her back.

"Sasuke-kun," she groaned, hands fisting almost painfully into his hair. He sighed against her neck, placing his forehead over the mark he had just made. She softened, loosening her hands and then running them through the locks. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"…nothing." He muttered finally, moving away and adjusting her shirt slightly. She frowned up at him, catching his hand.

"Sasuke-kun." He closed his eyes, bowing his head and shaking it.

"Just…be careful." She sighed, brushing back the bangs from his forehead and leaning up to hold his face against his palms. His lids opened to reveal onyx eyes. She smiled softly at him.

"Aren't I always?" His gaze held hers for a moment.

"Aa."

Her smile widened as she let her hands drop from his face, one of them grabbing his.

"Come on, McInsecure. Why don't we go for a walk?" He sighed, placing the hand that Sakura didn't have into his pocket. He didn't say no so Sakura grinned and dragged him outside.

The sun was setting but the air was still warm, so neither minded. "Teme! Sakura-chan!" Sasuke sighed, though Sakura turned around.

"Naruto!" She grinned at the woman beside the blonde. "Hey, Hinata-chan." The raven-haired female smiled back at her, cradling Hikari against her shoulder; clearly their daughter was fast asleep. "Where were you guys?"

"Ichiraku." Naruto grinned and Sasuke sighed again.

"Dobe. You didn't feed Hikari any ramen, did you?"

Naruto's expression was sheepish as Hinata glanced at him. "Well, I tried to, but Hinata-chan said that ramen wasn't good for babies. But I ate ramen when I was young and I turned out to be fine!"

Sakura dug her nails into Sasuke's hand to prevent him from responding to that.

"Where are you and Sasuke-san headed, Sakura-chan?" Hinata inquired.

"Ah, nowhere. We're just going for a walk since it's so nice out." Sakura grinned and Hinata smiled back.

"Yes, it is. But Naruto-kun and I should be headed back. Hikari-chan needs to get to bed."

Naruto gazed at his daughter, face pressed into his wife's shoulder, and his eyes softened. Sakura watched this transaction with a small smile. "Yeah, we do. See ya later, teme, Sakura-chan!" He waved and the couple continued on their way.

"See, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked once the other two (or three, if you counted Hikari) were gone. "That wasn't so bad."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, glancing inside the kunai shop. The Hyuuga and his female teammate were in there, browsing through weaponry; the Hyuuga had a hand on the small of her back, pushing her forward as a man walked up to them. His intent was clear--to ask out the brown-haired female--but so was the Hyuuga's back-the-fuck-away glare. Sasuke snorted, ignoring Sakura's confused look as they ambled on.

They passed the Yamanaka Flower Shop, seeing Shikamaru leaning against the wall of it, obviously waiting for Ino as she closed the shop for the night. Sakura grinned, listening as Shikamaru grumbled his famous catchphrase but turned his head, glancing through the window as Ino smiled, taking off her apron, and the brunette's own lips twitched before he sighed again.

"They are so cute together." Sakura said, laughing, once they were out of earshot from Shikamaru and Ino. Sasuke grumbled something and rolled his eyes. Sakura decided that for the future of his--theirs, she reminded herself with a smile. Theirs--clan, she wouldn't ask him to repeat that.

"It's getting late." Sasuke decided finally, after a half-hour of walking through Konoha. He glanced at the woman next to him. "You have work tomorrow."

She smiled. "Yeah, I do." She swung their interlaced fingers a few times. "Guess that means you want to go home, huh?"

Sasuke gave a short nod. "Aa."

"Mmmkay." She smiled and dragged him around the park. "This is a shortcut." She explained.

"Hn." Sasuke hummed, not commenting, as he watched Sakura lift her face to the open sky, staring at the stars.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun?" She called softly, not averting her gaze.

"What."

"Have you ever wished on stars?" She finally looked at him, and in the darkness with only the moon and some streetlights to aid them, her eyes had an almost ethereal glow.

"No." He answered shortly, and Sakura frowned.

"What about on flower petals?" The look that Sasuke gave her questioned her sanity and intelligence.

"What about 11:11?"

"No."

"Birthday candles?" Sakura asked, almost desperately. Sasuke paused.

"When I was younger." He said finally. He had also wished for her happiness, once, but he would never tell her.

"Oh." She said softly.

After a few moments of silence, Sasuke said, "What about you?"

Sakura smiled softly. "Of course. I always believed that if you wished hard enough, if you believed enough, then you'd get what you wanted."

"Optimistic." Sasuke remarked, and Sakura giggled.

"It's okay, Sasuke-kun, that you think it's stupid, but," she shrugged, smiling. "I got my wish."

He gave her a confused look at the singular form, and she gave him a gentle smile. "All I ever really wanted was to be with you." She elaborated, and Sasuke's heart thumped painfully in his chest. Sakura shrugged. "Sure, I wanted to be stronger, or to have simpler things, like some new necklace I had my eye on, but when it came down to it, when someone told me to wish on my birthday candles or when I caught 11:11 or when I blew on dandelions…when it came down to it, you were the only thing on my mind. The only thing that I wished for. The only thing I really and truly wanted."

Sasuke stared at her. "And what…" he licked his dry lips, mind churning to absorb this information, "what if I hadn't wanted to be with you back? What if I had married you but only to repopulate my clan? If I hadn't loved you back?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the intense look in his eyes. "Well," she said, smiling slightly, "I'd still love you." She grinned. "Of course, it'd have felt amazing to be loved back--it _does _feel amazing." She corrected herself. "But…if you didn't. If you were too broken inside to love me back…it wouldn't matter to me. Because even if you were only using me to be your baby factory," she laughed at her choice of wording, "then I'd still do it, because all I want for you is happiness."

Sasuke snorted. "Foolish." He muttered, but couldn't stop the feeling growing inside of him, this pool of warmth that started at his stomach and grew to his throat, choking him, but almost in a good way. It confused the hell out of him but he didn't complain, because it wasn't a _bad _feeling. The cause of it, he realized suddenly, was Sakura's unconditional love for him. No matter what. Even if he didn't--hadn't--loved her back, only used her to pop out little Uchiha's, she'd never stop loving him.

'_All I want for you is happiness.'_

He wondered if she realized that she _was _his happiness.

Sakura reached up, placing her hands on his cheeks. "I love you." She told him seriously. "That will never change."

Sasuke's body moved down of its accord, lips crashing against hers, desperate to show her how she made him feel, what the knowledge of her feelings had done to him.

Her thumb stroked his jaw line as his mouth moved against those soft lips. "Sasuke-kun," she sighed in contentment, and he kissed her harder, brows furrowed, and his hands wrapped around her hair, the silky locks feeling like water against his rough digits.

"We need to go home." She murmured against his lips and he sighed, pulling away.

"Aa." He agreed, and she smiled, lips dark pink and eyes bright. He stuck his hands in his pockets and her arms swung at her sides, posture content, and after a little while she started to whistle cheerfully. _Happily._

Sasuke sighed before taking his hand and wrapping it around Sakura's, staring ahead determinedly. She turned her head to look at him--because Sasuke almost never made the first move in hand-holding, it was always the other way around--but then smiled and interlocked their fingers. Sasuke smirked.

That was how they walked home, hand-in-hand, with the fading twilight behind them.

* * *

_Sakura punched the ground, the dirt and grass beneath their feet erupting in a cloud of dust and Sasuke jumped up into a tree, Sharingan activated. The tree under him began to splinter as Sakura punched __**that**__, too, and Sasuke surged forward, landing swiftly on a piece of broken ground. _

_The air cleared and Sasuke and Sakura stared at each other, the latter scowling and the former apathetic, before Sasuke smirked. "Hn. Is that all, Sakura?"_

_She let out a shriek of rage before propelling herself towards her, fist raised and glowing chakra. "Don't," she screamed, "underestimate me, Uchiha!" She thrust her fist forward and Sasuke avoided the hit, knowing that if she hit him, even with the slightest touch, this spar could be over. Those hands of hers were deadly, as much as he loathed to admit it. _

_Thinking quickly he did a few hand seals, and when Sakura punched him the clone that she had __**really **__punched dissipated into thin air. From his perch on a tree he heard her growl in frustration and smirked. He quickly threw two kunai her way and she moved to avoid them, which he took advantage of, jumping quickly from above her and pouncing on her, knees braced on either side of her legs and holding down the skirt, which acted like a cage, and grabbing her wrists to throw them down on the ground so that she wouldn't be able to try anything else._

_Sakura thrashed around in his grip but he squeezed her wrists hard as a warning and she stopped, panting. Sasuke himself was breathing heavily but he regulated it easily. "I win." He said simply. Sakura gritted her teeth and turned her head to the side, closing her eyes. Sasuke frowned at her actions._

"_Get off." She commanded harshly and he obliged, watching as she stood and dusted off her knees, walking around the field and collecting her weapons with a practiced motion. Sasuke continued to stare at her as she did this but she never met his eyes, even as she wiped the dirt from the sharp blades and placed them into her pouch. She finally turned and met his gaze calmly._

"_Thanks for the spar, Sasuke." She said simply, pivoting sharply on her heel and walking away from him._

* * *

He woke up to the feel of the weight in his arms getting up, and he opened his eyes, watching as Sakura stumbled into their bathroom to go take a shower. He smirked as he listened to her swear when she stubbed her toe against the doorframe, automatically throwing an arm across his eyes before seconds later light filled the room, and again Sakura cursed at the brightness, obviously having forgotten to close her _own _eyes.

Sasuke heard the door close and he sighed, moving his arm so that it was now lying across his forehead, tilting his head to the side to glance at the clock. 5:23 it blared in bright, red letters.

He grunted softly and re-positioned his head, closing his eyes and listening to the rush of water. He had drifted back asleep until he heard the shower turn off, and the door opened but Sasuke's eyes were closed. He opened them when he heard drawers being opened, the muted ruffling of clothing all that he could hear besides Sakura's breathing. She dropped her towel and he opened his eyes, blinking them a few times to get adjusted to the semi-darkness. The moonlight illuminated her wet back as she began to get ready for her mission. She turned her head at the feel of his stare, soaked pink locks sticking to her face.

"Sasuke-kun? Why are you awake?" Her brows furrowed and she bit her lip. "I didn't wake you up, did I?" He shook his head and she expelled a sigh of relief. "Okay, good." She grabbed white medical tape and began to bind her breasts, then slipped on a black shirt.

"You're leaving early." He commented lightly, and she nodded as she slipped on a black skirt, pulling a brush through her hair and then awkwardly braiding it, slipping a green hair tie around the end of it.

Once she was done she crawled over to him, braid falling over her shoulder as she placed her hands next his sides, knees by his. Sasuke smirked and propped himself up using his elbows until he was against his pillow. Sakura leaned in and kissed him softly before pulling back. "I love you."

"Aa." And then, almost hesitantly, "me too." The look on her face was worth it, he thought. Then she grinned, moonlight glinting against her teeth, and kissed him again before swinging her left leg over his body and bouncing off the bed.

She glanced back at him. "I'll be home soon, okay?" She assured him softly, and he glanced at them; their eyes held for a moment.

"Aa." He murmured. She smiled before collecting her weapons pouch and walking away, closing the door gently behind her.

Sasuke didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

--

The dark-haired Uchiha male sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down on the couch. He had just returned home from a week-long mission and he was, without a doubt, exhausted. He had been sleeping poorly, the lack of Sakura and the worry for her safety taking a toll on him. Sasuke scowled, rubbing the bridge of his nose and inwardly scoffing. _'Ridiculous. Sakura's a big girl, she can handle herself.'_

Still, he would feel more at ease when she finally returned home.

Sasuke let his head drop onto the back of the couch and closed his eyes. His body relaxed, arm resting behind his head in a position that would be uncomfortable for most but, of course, not him. His posture slackened; he felt warm, content…

He jerked upward at the feeling of chakra nearing his door. Blearily blinking his eyes, Sasuke realized that he had fallen asleep. Obsidian eyes glanced over to the clock on the right side of the wall and he scowled; it was 3:46 in the morning. Whoever this person was, they'd better have a _damn _good reason for waking him up or he'd personally see to it that every ligament in their body was broken.

A soft knock on his door interrupted his violent musings and Sasuke stood, stretching. The person was not a threat, since they didn't bother to mask their chakra, for one, and also…not even _Naruto _was stupid enough to knock on the enemy's door if they were intending something harmful.

Sasuke opened the door and raised an eyebrow.

"Nara."

"Sasuke." Shikamaru acknowledged back, but there was something in his expression, a set, clenching of the jaw, the way his hands were fisted in his pockets, his tense posture, that let Sasuke know that this wasn't just a social call.

The late timing and the blood coating his Jounin vest wasn't too bad of a hint, either.

Sasuke crossed his arms, regarding the male across from him coolly. Shikamaru watched him back, but his eyes were sad, full of an emotion that confused Sasuke.

"So," the Uchiha began. "care to explain why you're at my house at four in the morning?"

Shikamaru shifted uneasily, eyes flickering from Sasuke to the darkness of the house behind him, before he finally opened up his mouth, the words coming out in a rush, sounding more like a breath of air, almost as if he didn't want to say this and simply wanted to get it out of the way.

"It's Sakura. You…you have to come to the hospital. Something's happened." His eyes met Sasuke's, and a horrified understanding crossed the stoic male's face. He knew, even before Shikamaru continued.

"Something bad."

* * *

**A/N--It is one in the morning and I have to get up for school in five and a half hours. Obviously, I love you guys a lot. **

**But--tah-dah! The newest chapter! Kind of sad to think that there are only about two or three left until this story is finally finished; but, I digress. I'll leave the sentimalities until the final chapter.**

**Reviews, anyone?**


	25. The dreaded author's note

**I know, I know, you guys are all pissed at me cause this isn't a chapter, but still, an explanation is sort of required. Ish. **

**School has started up again--and I know most of you are now rolling your eyes and clicking the x button--and well, junior year, yo. Which you would know if you've checked my profile as of late. (I seriously doubt a majority of you have.) I also have a three-day test to complete in…hmm, May? I don't know. Whatever. It's called the HSPA, and it's only for New Jersey students. In short, if I don't pass this test, I simply don't graduate. And I am _not _re-taking it. **

**And I know I absolutely _promised _that I'd update after finals, but okay, listen guys, I have something called a _life_. I'm not ALWAYS at my computer and able to write, so listen, get off my case. (You all know who you are. That's majorly uncool, by the way. And it only makes me angry. So please stop.) I understand that you guys love this story--god only knows _why_--but I don't always have the time to write. Between my family, friends, and school, I don't _have _that much _me _time. So please, be patient?  
**

**Furthermore, I have writer's block. Which you can blame on Kishimoto for being an absolute _sweetheart _and blowing up my plot bunnies. (Which is fine--I'll just blow his face off with a bazooka or something.) For those of you who are up to date with the Naruto manga, particularly the latest one, you know _exactly _what I'm talking about. Sasuke hatred, I'm sure, has hit an all-time high, and I myself hate him, so much I can't bring myself to even _read _fanfiction at the moment. **

**So understand that while no, I'm not going to stop writing FOMD, it'll just be a while before a _real _update comes in. I'll try, but I'm not making any guarantees. **

**With all of that said, good luck with school, everyone, and I'll try to get a new chapter up soon-ish. Meanwhile, be on the lookout for some one-shots!  
**


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